Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 53-3052

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity

Median pay sits 27% below the mid peer in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (neighbors include Air Traffic Controllers, Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers, Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators, Flight Attendants).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity: Air Traffic Controllers ($148K) , Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers ($62K) , Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators ($77K) , Flight Attendants ($64K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 53-3052 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Drive vehicles over specified routes or to specified destinations according to time schedules, complying with traffic regulations to ensu…
  2. 2. Park vehicles at loading areas so that passengers can board
  3. 3. Inspect vehicles and check gas, oil, and water levels prior to departure
  4. 4. Announce stops to passengers
  5. 5. Assist passengers, such as elderly or individuals with disabilities, on and off bus, ensure they are seated properly, help carry baggage…
  6. 6. Collect tickets or cash fares from passengers
  7. 7. Handle passenger emergencies or disruptions
  8. 8. Report delays or accidents
  9. 9. Advise passengers to be seated and orderly while on vehicles
  10. 10. Read maps to plan bus routes
  11. 11. Regulate heating, lighting, and ventilating systems for passenger comfort
  12. 12. Record information, such as cash receipts and ticket fares, and maintain log book

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 53-3052 - lead skill Operation and Control at 3.9 ; lead knowledge Transportation. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 3.9
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.6
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.1
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.1
  5. 5. Service Orientation 3.1
  6. 6. Time Management 3.1
  7. 7. Speaking 3.0
  8. 8. Monitoring 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Transportation 4.5
  2. 2. Customer and Personal Service 4.3
  3. 3. Public Safety and Security 4.0
  4. 4. English Language 3.4
  5. 5. Law and Government 3.1
  6. 6. Administration and Management 2.8
Pay vs Transportation and Material Moving Occupations peers
-27%
vs mid peer median $81,410
This role $59,050/yr
$59K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
20,900
Annual openings
159,240
Estimated US jobs
Air Traffic Controllers
Highest-pay peer · $148K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity

1. Illinois $65,200
2. Alaska $64,150
3. Massachusetts $65,460
4. New York $84,480
5. Colorado $63,010
6. California $67,130
7. Oregon $65,510
8. Maryland $65,220
9. Washington $72,280
10. Hawaii $68,500

Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations titles

  1. 1. Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators $77,320
  2. 2. Air Traffic Controllers $148,080
  3. 3. Flight Attendants $63,580
  4. 4. Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers $61,770
  5. 5. Wellhead Pumpers $69,960
  6. 6. Subway and Streetcar Operators $86,380

Among Transportation and Material Moving Occupations peers on this card, Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity sits 27% below the mid peer median ($81,410). Its own median is $59,050.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 20,900 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Illinois at $65,200. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Air Traffic Controllers at $148,080. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity pay-rank #19 in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity sits at pay-rank #19 of 50 detailed Transportation and Material Moving Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 53-3052 · national median $59,050 · middle third of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (#19/50). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 53-3052

Illinois · top state for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity

$65K published median

Alaska · #2 state pay

$64K · behind Illinois

Air Traffic Controllers

Highest-pay peer vs Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity · $148K

Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers

Lower-pay peer beside Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity · $62K

Compare Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity

Against another occupation

Air Traffic Controllers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity mid-table among Transportation and Material Moving Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #19 of 50 detailed Transportation and Material Moving Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Traffic Technicians ($59K), Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders ($59K), Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers ($59K), Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors ($58K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do bus drivers, transit and intercity do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity. Leading ones include: Drive vehicles over specified routes or to specified destinations according to time schedules, complying with traffic regulations to ensu…; Park vehicles at loading areas so that passengers can board; Inspect vehicles and check gas, oil, and water levels prior to departure; Announce stops to passengers. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for bus drivers, transit and intercity? ▼
For SOC 53-3052, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (3.9), Operations Monitoring (3.6), Active Listening (3.1), Critical Thinking (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Transportation, Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $59,050 as the national median for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity. The published 10th-90th range is $40,030 to $84,700. Beside Air Traffic Controllers ($148,080), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 20,900. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity? ▼
Illinois ($65,200), Alaska ($64,150), Massachusetts ($65,460) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 53-3052. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics