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Bus driver salary in New York

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$56,640median pay per year in New York, or $27.23 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $46,270lowest 10% earn less
  2. $49,32025th percentile
  3. $56,640median
  4. $62,55075th percentile
  5. $76,070top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $47,920[3]

The median bus driver in New York earned $56,640 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $8,720 higher than the US median[6].

Jobs in NY
38,320[4]
Rank by median pay
8 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
+18.2%[6]

How much do bus drivers make in New York?

The median is the middle point. Half of bus drivers in New York earned more than $56,640 a year, or $27.23 an hour, and half earned less[1]. The average was a little higher at $57,140[7]. Across the US, the median was $47,920[3], so New York came out 18.2% higher[6]. Against all jobs in New York, where the median was $59,670[8], bus drivers were $3,030 lower[9].

Pay spreads out on both sides of the middle. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,270, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $76,070[2]. Put another way, a percentile is a boundary line, and the BLS does not publish a starting salary[10].

By metro area, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median at $59,790[11]. Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY had a median of $59,610[12]. These figures cover wage and salary jobs only. They leave out the self-employed and do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits like health insurance[13].

New York vs US pay

Pay for bus drivers in New York next to the national figures[1][3].

NYUS
Median per year$56,640[1]$47,920[3]
Median per hour$27.23[1]$23.04[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$46,270[2]$29,240[14]
Top 10% earn more than$76,070[2]$65,730[14]
Jobs38,320[4]402,930[3]

Pay by metro area in New York

Metro areas in New York with the most jobs for bus drivers, and the median pay in each[12]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ[12]$59,79029,280
Rochester, NY$51,7803,080
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$51,5002,940
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$59,6102,040
Syracuse, NY$57,5901,730
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$50,3001,700
Utica-Rome, NY$48,300720
Binghamton, NY$46,270540

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for bus drivers in the states that border New York, highest first[15].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Massachusetts[15]$65,1709,330
Connecticut$61,5207,970
New Jersey$59,43013,670
Vermont$56,580860
Pennsylvania$47,53023,670

Median pay for bus drivers in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for bus drivers are projected to grow 0.7% from 2025 to 2035[16]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: high school diploma or equivalent[17].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a bus driver make in New York?
The median bus driver in New York earned $56,640 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $57,140[7].
How much does a bus driver make an hour in New York?
The median hourly wage was $27.23[1]. The 10th percentile wage was $22.25 an hour and the 90th percentile was $36.57[18].
Which city in New York pays bus drivers the most?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median annual wage at $59,790[11]. That metro area also had 29,280 jobs[12].
Is New York a good state for bus drivers?
New York had the 8th highest median annual wage for this job out of the 50 states and DC with a published median[5]. The median was 18.2% above the US figure[6].
What do you need to become a bus driver in New York?
This is a US figure, not one for New York. Across the US, the typical entry path calls for a high school diploma or equivalent, no related work experience and short-term on-the-job training[17].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Bus Drivers, School in New York was $56,640 per year and $27.23 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Bus Drivers, School in New York: 10th percentile $46,270, 25th percentile $49,320, 75th percentile $62,550, 90th percentile $76,070. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Bus Drivers, School in the US as a whole was $47,920 per year and $23.04 per hour, with about 402,930 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 38,320 people worked as Bus Drivers, School in New York (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: New York had the 8th highest median annual wage for Bus Drivers, School out of the 50 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Bus Drivers, School in New York ($56,640) was $8,720 (18.2%) higher than the US median ($47,920). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Bus Drivers, School in New York was $57,140 per year and $27.47 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in New York was $59,670. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Bus Drivers, School in New York was $3,030 lower than the median for all occupations in the state ($59,670). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 13 metro areas in or partly in New York with a published median for Bus Drivers, School, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median annual wage, $59,790. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Bus Drivers, School in the US: 10th percentile $29,240, 25th percentile $38,650, 75th percentile $58,430, 90th percentile $65,730. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Bus Drivers, School in states that border New York (highest first): Massachusetts $65,170; Connecticut $61,520; New Jersey $59,430; Vermont $56,580; Pennsylvania $47,530. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Bus Drivers, School is projected to grow 0.7% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 56,500 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  17. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Bus Drivers, School: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  18. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Bus Drivers, School in New York: 10th percentile $22.25, 25th percentile $23.71, 75th percentile $30.07, 90th percentile $36.57. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only New York. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.