Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

53-3021 Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity

Drive bus or motor coach, including regular route operations, charters, and private carriage. May assist passengers with baggage. May collect fares or tickets.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
176,190 2.1 % $18.00 $37,440 1.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.14 $12.77 $17.17 $22.98 $27.60
Annual Wage (2) $21,080 $26,570 $35,720 $47,800 $57,410


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government (OES Designation) 84,570 1.53 $21.04 $43,760
Urban Transit Systems 25,290 59.24 $16.12 $33,520
Charter Bus Industry 17,560 56.45 $13.65 $28,390
Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation 14,630 17.50 $14.04 $29,210
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation 9,670 55.33 $16.36 $34,020

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Urban Transit Systems 25,290 59.24 $16.12 $33,520
Charter Bus Industry 17,560 56.45 $13.65 $28,390
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation 9,670 55.33 $16.36 $34,020
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land 4,370 39.10 $14.26 $29,660
Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation 14,630 17.50 $14.04 $29,210

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Spectator Sports (8) (8) $25.59 $53,230
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 50 0.10 $24.99 $51,990
Performing Arts Companies 150 0.13 $22.91 $47,650
State Government (OES Designation) 4,120 0.18 $22.81 $47,450
Local Government (OES Designation) 84,570 1.53 $21.04 $43,760


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 26,350 1.88 1.37 $19.61 $40,790
New York 18,640 2.21 1.61 $23.12 $48,090
Illinois 12,580 2.26 1.64 $19.14 $39,810
Texas 11,250 1.09 0.80 $16.26 $33,820
Florida 10,050 1.41 1.02 $15.22 $31,650




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 2,670 4.63 3.37 $19.26 $40,050
Washington 7,690 2.83 2.06 $22.88 $47,600
Illinois 12,580 2.26 1.64 $19.14 $39,810
New Jersey 8,500 2.25 1.64 $20.21 $42,030
New York 18,640 2.21 1.61 $23.12 $48,090




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 18,640 2.21 1.61 $23.12 $48,090
Washington 7,690 2.83 2.06 $22.88 $47,600
New Jersey 8,500 2.25 1.64 $20.21 $42,030
California 26,350 1.88 1.37 $19.61 $40,790
Ohio 4,680 0.94 0.68 $19.59 $40,740





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 18,840 3.72 2.71 $23.58 $49,050
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 9,260 2.59 1.88 $19.87 $41,320
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 8,370 2.19 1.59 $18.39 $38,260
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 3,900 1.69 1.23 $18.76 $39,020
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 3,570 3.67 2.67 $13.36 $27,780
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 3,530 1.72 1.26 $17.83 $37,090
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 3,480 3.62 2.64 $22.90 $47,630
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 2,990 2.49 1.81 $14.47 $30,090
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 2,880 1.69 1.23 $13.33 $27,730
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 2,750 1.98 1.44 $20.19 $42,000




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Honolulu, HI 2,060 4.85 3.53 $20.83 $43,330
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 750 4.35 3.17 $16.95 $35,250
Rochester, MN 370 3.74 2.72 $14.33 $29,800
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 18,840 3.72 2.71 $23.58 $49,050
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 490 3.70 2.69 $22.32 $46,430
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 3,570 3.67 2.67 $13.36 $27,780
Springfield, IL 390 3.65 2.65 $14.55 $30,270
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 3,480 3.62 2.64 $22.90 $47,630
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 260 3.25 2.37 $18.86 $39,230
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 2,400 2.98 2.17 $14.72 $30,620




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Spokane, WA 340 1.76 1.28 $25.98 $54,040
Olympia, WA 240 2.51 1.83 $25.25 $52,510
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 18,840 3.72 2.71 $23.58 $49,050
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA 400 2.39 1.74 $23.25 $48,350
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA (8) (8) (8) $23.21 $48,280
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 3,480 3.62 2.64 $22.90 $47,630
Salinas, CA (8) (8) (8) $22.67 $47,150
Dayton, OH (8) (8) (8) $22.64 $47,100
Memphis, TN-MS-AR (8) (8) (8) $22.46 $46,730
Syracuse, NY 60 0.21 0.15 $22.38 $46,540

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 610 4.01 2.92 $13.90 $28,920
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 500 1.80 1.31 $14.16 $29,440
Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 420 2.27 1.66 $10.80 $22,460
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 380 1.74 1.26 $15.60 $32,440
West Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 260 1.65 1.20 $16.37 $34,050

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 610 4.01 2.92 $13.90 $28,920
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 130 3.75 2.73 $17.73 $36,880
Northeast Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 200 2.75 2.00 $11.40 $23,710
Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 420 2.27 1.66 $10.80 $22,460
Southwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 210 2.24 1.63 $11.20 $23,290

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 50 0.70 0.51 $19.68 $40,930
Southwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 140 2.20 1.60 $19.45 $40,450
Other New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $18.21 $37,880
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 130 3.75 2.73 $17.73 $36,880
Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 60 1.48 1.08 $17.40 $36,180


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012