How much does a transit operator make?

The average transit operator salary in the United States is $38,023. Transit operator salaries typically range between $30,000 and $46,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for transit operators is $18.28 per hour. Transit operator salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Transit operators earn the highest average salary in New Jersey.

Transit operator salary

Q: What state pays Transit Operators the most?

New Jersey pays Transit Operators the most in the United States, with an average salary of $44,221 per year, or $21.26 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a transit operator?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a transit operator if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in New Hampshire you should be paid close to $43,095 per year.

Average transit operator salary

$38,023

$18.28 hourly rate

Entry-level transit operator salary

$30,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Transit Operator Salaries

The role of a transit operator is essential in maintaining efficient public transportation systems. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $38,023 per year, or about $18 per hour. Salaries can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and specific transit systems.

Average Salary by State

Transit operator salaries differ significantly across the country. States like California and New York generally offer higher compensation due to the cost of living and demand for transit services. For example, operators in urban areas tend to earn more than those in rural settings.

Growth Opportunities

With the ongoing development of public transportation networks, opportunities for advancement in this field are expanding. Transit operators can pursue additional certifications or training programs to specialize in areas such as safety operations or management, potentially leading to higher salaries and increased responsibilities.

Conclusion

As a transit operator, not only do you contribute to your community, but you also have the chance to build a rewarding career with competitive pay. Stay informed about salary trends and explore various opportunities to enhance your professional journey.

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Transit operator salary by:

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Where can a Transit Operator earn more?

Compare salary by location

61k

41k

21k

Columbus, OH$42,440

Newark, OH$31,323

Compare salary by company

67k

47k

27k

University of California-Berkeley$46,997

Murfreesboro, Tennessee$36,804

Transit operator salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, SalaryExpert and Comparably, the average salary for a transit operator typically falls between $34,604 and $56,480.

zippia

$38,023yearly

glassdoor[1]

$56,480yearly

comparably[2]

$39,623yearly

Salary.com[3]

$43,832yearly

ZipRecruiter[4]

$38,609yearly

SalaryExpert[5]

$34,604yearly

Average transit operator salary by state

The average transit operator salary in New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average transit operator salary states are Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for transit operators

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New Jersey	$44,221	$21.26
2	North Dakota	$40,506	$19.47
3	New Hampshire	$43,095	$20.72
4	Maine	$40,109	$19.28
5	Nevada	$41,959	$20.17
6	Massachusetts	$40,587	$19.51
7	South Dakota	$38,652	$18.58
8	Montana	$39,429	$18.96
9	Tennessee	$41,173	$19.79
10	Alaska	$40,567	$19.50
11	Kansas	$38,043	$18.29
12	Minnesota	$38,580	$18.55
13	Michigan	$40,019	$19.24
14	Connecticut	$42,870	$20.61
15	Washington	$42,121	$20.25
16	Idaho	$38,929	$18.72
17	Pennsylvania	$37,935	$18.24
18	Vermont	$40,354	$19.40
19	West Virginia	$38,549	$18.53
20	District of Columbia	$39,242	$18.87
21	Louisiana	$37,357	$17.96
22	Hawaii	$39,217	$18.85
23	Iowa	$36,389	$17.49
24	Utah	$37,087	$17.83
25	Rhode Island	$36,772	$17.68
26	California	$39,703	$19.09
27	New York	$40,700	$19.57
28	Oregon	$39,108	$18.80
29	Wisconsin	$37,138	$17.85
30	Alabama	$35,832	$17.23
31	Maryland	$38,861	$18.68
32	Colorado	$37,494	$18.03
33	Mississippi	$35,589	$17.11
34	Arizona	$36,754	$17.67
35	Nebraska	$36,354	$17.48
36	Delaware	$35,738	$17.18
37	Illinois	$37,593	$18.07
38	Indiana	$36,364	$17.48
39	Virginia	$35,631	$17.13
40	Georgia	$36,365	$17.48
41	Wyoming	$33,246	$15.98
42	Missouri	$34,776	$16.72
43	Arkansas	$35,551	$17.09
44	North Carolina	$34,219	$16.45
45	Oklahoma	$33,149	$15.94
46	South Carolina	$35,390	$17.01
47	Kentucky	$32,559	$15.65
48	Florida	$32,295	$15.53
49	New Mexico	$33,348	$16.03
50	Ohio	$31,451	$15.12
51	Texas	$30,991	$14.90

Top transit operator jobs near you

Highest paying cities for transit operators

The highest-paying cities for transit operators are Bellingham, WA, Johnson City, TN, and San Francisco, CA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Bellingham, WA	$42,440	$20.40
2	Johnson City, TN	$41,236	$19.82
3	San Francisco, CA	$39,978	$19.22
4	Billings, MT	$39,186	$18.84
5	Denver, CO	$37,500	$18.03
6	Oshkosh, WI	$37,404	$17.98
7	Glendale, AZ	$36,761	$17.67
8	Charlottesville, VA	$35,500	$17.07
9	Chapel Hill, NC	$34,284	$16.48
10	Bradenton, FL	$32,357	$15.56
11	El Paso, TX	$31,688	$15.23
12	Newark, OH	$31,323	$15.06

Transit operator salary details

A transit operator's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $46,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average transit operator salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a transit operator's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$46,000	$3,833	$22
75th Percentile	$42,000	$3,500	$20
Average	$38,023	$3,169	$18
25th Percentile	$34,000	$2,833	$16
10th Percentile	$30,000	$2,500	$14

Highest paying transit operator jobs

The highest paying types of transit operators are interstate bus driver, coach operator, and motor coach operator.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Transit Driver	$36,195	$3,016	$17.40	362,919
Operator	$37,928	$3,161	$18.23	159,077
Bus Operator	$37,374	$3,115	$17.97	65,075

Top companies hiring transit operators now:

Which companies pay transit operators the most?

Transit operator salaries at University of California, Berkeley and Uber Technologies are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average transit operator salary at companies like UC Merced and Jefferson Transit Eastbank are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	University of California-Berkeley	$46,997	$22.59
2	Uber Technologies	$46,985	$22.59
3	UC Merced	$46,783	$22.49
4	Jefferson Transit Eastbank	$42,531	$20.45
5	Prince George's County Police	$42,531	$20.45
6	Gainesville Regional Utilities	$40,785	$19.61
7	City of Peoria	$40,470	$19.46
8	Licking County	$38,774	$18.64
9	City of Billings	$38,675	$18.59
10	City of Oshkosh	$38,590	$18.55
11	Transdev Services, Inc.	$38,484	$18.50
12	City of Gainesville	$38,331	$18.43
13	City Of Johnson City	$38,298	$18.41
14	City Of Longview	$37,781	$18.16
15	ATI Physical Therapy	$37,640	$18.10
16	City of Madison	$37,523	$18.04
17	City of Brownsville	$37,362	$17.96
18	City of El Paso, Texas - Municipal Government	$37,204	$17.89
19	City of Glendale, CA	$36,995	$17.79
20	Murfreesboro, Tennessee	$36,804	$17.69

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$40,000$39,400$38,800$38,200$37,600$37,000

MaleFemale

Transit operator salary trends

The average transit operator salary has risen by $8,505 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average transit operator earned $29,518 annually, but today, they earn $38,023 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for transit operators over the last decade.

Compare transit operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average transit operator salary over time

Compare transit operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Transit operator salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$38,000	$18.28	+5.0%
2024	$36,100	$17.36	+3.7%
2023	$34,800	$16.72	+3.1%
2022	$33,700	$16.20	+2.4%
2021	$32,900	$15.81	+3.8%

Recently added transit operator salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
City of Gainesville	Transit Operator	Gainesville, FL	06/30/2025	$33,538
Propark America	Public Transit Operator	Wooster, OH	06/21/2025	$35,479
Park City Municipal Corporation	Seasonal Transit Operator	Cove, UT	06/21/2025	$58,436
City of Wichita Falls, Tx	Transit Operator	Wichita Falls, TX	06/13/2025	$33,976
City of Juneau, Ak	Capital Transit Operator (BUS Driver)	Juneau, AK	06/13/2025	$63,946
City of Oshkosh	Transit Operator/Sign	Oshkosh, WI	06/10/2025	$55,515
City of Winchester	Transit Operator	Winchester, VA	06/05/2025	$35,625
City of Gainesville	Transit Operator	Gainesville, FL	05/27/2025	$33,204
City of Wichita Falls, Tx	Transit Operator-No Benefits	Wichita Falls, TX	05/13/2025	$33,976
City of Fort Collins, Co	Operator I, Transit (BUS Operator)	Fort Collins, CO	05/04/2025	$50,088

Transit operator salary FAQs

What state pays Transit Operators the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a transit operator?

Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.

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Updated December 15, 2025

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