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Best states for a school bus driver
Quoted expert
Martin Garsee
- Rank 1 - 10
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We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for school bus drivers in the United States. School bus driver positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for school bus drivers.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for school bus drivers. We found that Wyoming is the best state in the nation for school bus drivers, and people in Gloucester earn the most in the field.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for school bus drivers.Wyoming is the best state, and Gloucester is the city with the highest pay for school bus drivers.
10 best states for school bus drivers in 2026
1. Wyoming
Total school bus driver jobs: 498 Average annual salary: $40,021 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
2. Pennsylvania
Total school bus driver jobs: 13,232 Average annual salary: $38,734 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
3. Indiana
Total school bus driver jobs: 8,186 Average annual salary: $38,300 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
4. Maine
Total school bus driver jobs: 622 Average annual salary: $42,259 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Location Quotient: 0.53
5. Massachusetts
Total school bus driver jobs: 2,552 Average annual salary: $46,831 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 0.32
6. Vermont
Total school bus driver jobs: 531 Average annual salary: $41,456 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
7. New Hampshire
Total school bus driver jobs: 684 Average annual salary: $42,017 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Location Quotient: 0.44
8. Rhode Island
Total school bus driver jobs: 630 Average annual salary: $41,064 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Location Quotient: 0.59
9. Washington
Total school bus driver jobs: 2,993 Average annual salary: $43,859 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Location Quotient: 0.47
10. West Virginia
Total school bus driver jobs: 3,582 Average annual salary: $35,717 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Location Quotient: 2.67
School bus driver jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a school bus driver
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a school bus driver
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $40,021 | $33,000 | 579,315 | 498 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $38,734 | $31,000 | 12,805,537 | 13,232 |
| 3 | Indiana | $38,300 | $31,000 | 6,666,818 | 8,186 |
| 4 | Maine | $42,259 | $36,000 | 1,335,907 | 622 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $46,831 | $39,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,552 |
| 6 | Vermont | $41,456 | $36,000 | 623,657 | 531 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $42,017 | $36,000 | 1,342,795 | 684 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $41,064 | $34,000 | 1,059,639 | 630 |
| 9 | Washington | $43,859 | $37,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,993 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $35,717 | $29,000 | 1,815,857 | 3,582 |
| 11 | Ohio | $36,426 | $29,000 | 11,658,609 | 15,161 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $40,214 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 344 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $36,926 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 3,652 |
| 14 | Alaska | $43,157 | $39,000 | 739,795 | 157 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $37,684 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 4,607 |
| 16 | Iowa | $36,115 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 4,687 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $40,300 | $33,000 | 3,588,184 | 1,810 |
| 18 | New York | $39,312 | $32,000 | 19,849,399 | 10,216 |
| 19 | Oregon | $39,467 | $33,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,486 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $38,509 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 4,306 |
| 21 | Alabama | $35,092 | $28,000 | 4,874,747 | 5,787 |
| 22 | Texas | $36,602 | $29,000 | 28,304,596 | 19,844 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $36,058 | $30,000 | 869,666 | 1,134 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $35,912 | $29,000 | 1,920,076 | 2,226 |
| 25 | Illinois | $35,716 | $29,000 | 12,802,023 | 18,167 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $39,976 | $32,000 | 9,005,644 | 3,491 |
| 27 | Maryland | $38,495 | $31,000 | 6,052,177 | 5,034 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $35,440 | $28,000 | 6,715,984 | 6,108 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $35,006 | $28,000 | 4,454,189 | 5,766 |
| 30 | Missouri | $35,763 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 6,584 |
| 31 | Michigan | $35,727 | $29,000 | 9,962,311 | 5,683 |
| 32 | California | $38,877 | $31,000 | 39,536,653 | 21,650 |
| 33 | Utah | $35,775 | $29,000 | 3,101,833 | 2,929 |
| 34 | Kansas | $34,887 | $28,000 | 2,913,123 | 4,386 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $34,288 | $27,000 | 3,004,279 | 3,203 |
| 36 | Arizona | $35,892 | $29,000 | 7,016,270 | 3,750 |
| 37 | Montana | $36,384 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 652 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $34,314 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 5,892 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $38,350 | $31,000 | 693,972 | 199 |
| 40 | Idaho | $35,384 | $29,000 | 1,716,943 | 1,172 |
| 41 | Nevada | $35,329 | $28,000 | 2,998,039 | 1,113 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $33,145 | $26,000 | 3,930,864 | 3,993 |
| 43 | Virginia | $35,399 | $28,000 | 8,470,020 | 6,904 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $32,534 | $25,000 | 2,984,100 | 2,781 |
| 45 | Georgia | $32,699 | $26,000 | 10,429,379 | 12,964 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $37,050 | $32,000 | 1,427,538 | 153 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $32,693 | $26,000 | 2,088,070 | 1,700 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $33,243 | $26,000 | 10,273,419 | 7,407 |
| 49 | Delaware | $32,864 | $26,000 | 961,939 | 1,295 |
| 50 | Colorado | $34,479 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 3,254 |
| 51 | Florida | $31,014 | $24,000 | 20,984,400 | 5,270 |
Highest paying states for school bus drivers
| Rank | State | Avg. School Bus Driver Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $40,021 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $38,734 |
| 3 | Indiana | $38,300 |
| 4 | Maine | $42,259 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $46,831 |
| 6 | Vermont | $41,456 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $42,017 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $41,064 |
| 9 | Washington | $43,859 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $35,717 |
| 11 | Ohio | $36,426 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $40,214 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $36,926 |
| 14 | Alaska | $43,157 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $37,684 |
| 16 | Iowa | $36,115 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $40,300 |
| 18 | New York | $39,312 |
| 19 | Oregon | $39,467 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $38,509 |
| 21 | Alabama | $35,092 |
| 22 | Texas | $36,602 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $36,058 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $35,912 |
| 25 | Illinois | $35,716 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $39,976 |
| 27 | Maryland | $38,495 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $35,440 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $35,006 |
| 30 | Missouri | $35,763 |
| 31 | Michigan | $35,727 |
| 32 | California | $38,877 |
| 33 | Utah | $35,775 |
| 34 | Kansas | $34,887 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $34,288 |
| 36 | Arizona | $35,892 |
| 37 | Montana | $36,384 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $34,314 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $38,350 |
| 40 | Idaho | $35,384 |
| 41 | Nevada | $35,329 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $33,145 |
| 43 | Virginia | $35,399 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $32,534 |
| 45 | Georgia | $32,699 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $37,050 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $32,693 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $33,243 |
| 49 | Delaware | $32,864 |
| 50 | Colorado | $34,479 |
| 51 | Florida | $31,014 |
Expert opinions on the best states for school bus drivers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for school bus drivers to find work opportunities?
Martin Garsee
Executive Director, NAPFTDS
Many over the road trucking companies will hire you from any location in the 48 contiguous states. Companies that have more set routes in a region of the country, will only hire in that region. Most companies, on their website, have a hiring area located. Where there is a dense population, there are more jobs available. Where there is a port, there are jobs that have to get the goods from the port to a warehouse for distribution, which may be local or hundreds of miles away. Where there is a concentration of manufacturing, raw material has to be brought in and completed products have to be shipped to their final destination.
In large cities there are a lot of delivery jobs to retail outlets.
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Updated January 8, 2025