BLS metro-level wage data places Bus Drivers, School pay in Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT at a median of $59,310 per year ($28.51/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $47,920, Norwich-New London-Willimantic pays +24% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 510 bus drivers, schools are employed across the Norwich-New London-Willimantic MSA in SOC 53-3051.

The Norwich-New London-Willimantic pay distribution spans from $45,320 at the 10th percentile to $62,240 at the 90th — a 1.4× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $46,150 and the 75th at $61,930, so half of Norwich-New London-Willimantic-based bus drivers, schools earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide CT data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.