Bus Drivers, School in the Baton Rouge Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Bus Drivers, School pay in Baton Rouge, LA at a median of $24,930 per year ($11.99/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $47,920, the metro estimate is 48% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 1,630 bus drivers, school are employed across the Baton Rouge MSA in SOC 53-3051.

The Baton Rouge pay distribution spans from $21,000 at the 10th percentile to $54,430 at the 90th, a 2.6× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $23,110 and the 75th at $44,860, so half of Baton Rouge-based bus drivers, school earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Baton Rouge, LA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide LA estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.