Careers / Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$59,050

United States, 2025

Employment

159,240

United States, 2025

Typical education

High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Job Zone 2

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

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

O*NET code
53-3052.00
Job zone
2
Experience required
None

Typical tasks

  • Drive vehicles over specified routes or to specified destinations according to time schedules, complying with traffic regulations to ensure that passengers have a smooth and safe ride.
  • 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.
  • Assist passengers, such as elderly or individuals with disabilities, on and off bus, ensure they are seated properly, help carry baggage, and answer questions about bus schedules or routes.
  • Collect tickets or cash fares from passengers.
  • Handle passenger emergencies or disruptions.
  • Report delays or accidents.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$40,030
10th
$47,530
25th
$59,050
Median
$70,700
75th
$84,700
90th

10th percentile

$40,030

25th percentile

$47,530

75th percentile

$70,700

90th percentile

$84,700

Most important skills

  • Operation and Control3.9
  • Operations Monitoring3.6
  • Service Orientation3.1
  • Time Management3.1
  • Critical Thinking3.1
  • Active Listening3.1
  • Speaking3.0
  • Monitoring3.0
  • Social Perceptiveness3.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.8
  • Reading Comprehension2.8
  • Coordination2.6

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 9 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

9

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Operation and Control3.93.1Not selected3.1
Operations Monitoring3.63.0Not selected3.0
Time Management3.12.8Not selected2.8
Critical Thinking3.12.8Not selected2.8
Active Listening3.12.8Not selected2.8
Service Orientation3.12.6Not selected2.6
Monitoring3.02.5Not selected2.5
Social Perceptiveness3.02.4Not selected2.4
Speaking3.02.3Not selected2.3

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
Las Vegas, NV$90,4602,1802025
NY$84,48016,7702025
Seattle, WA$83,4304,4302025
Portland, OR$80,1702,1302025
San Francisco, CA$78,9005,5402025
New York, NY$78,13019,7702025
Columbus, OH$73,7907002025
WA$72,2806,9602025
Salinas, CA$71,2901802025
Atlantic City, NJ$70,7003002025
Sacramento, CA$70,6808102025
Boston, MA$70,1203,2702025
Akron, OH$70,0003602025
HI$68,5002,1902025
Urban Honolulu, HI$68,5001,8102025
Los Angeles, CA$68,02010,1402025
Dayton, OH$67,4202702025
CA$67,13024,3802025
Boulder, CO$66,8402025
Denver, CO$66,5902,1402025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.