Pay distribution $36,450 10th $38,700 25th $45,490 75th $49,760 90th
Half of Bus Drivers, School in the Durham metro area earn more than $40,650 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $38,700 and $45,490.
Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS) Wage 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Annual $36,450 $38,700 $40,650 $45,490 $49,760 Hourly $17.52 $18.61 $19.54 $21.87 $23.92
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares Durham metro areathis metro area
$40,650 median for Durham metro area; middle half earns $38,700 to $45,490
$37,460 median for North Carolina; middle half earns $35,370 to $44,480
$47,920 median for United States; middle half earns $38,650 to $58,430
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is +9% vs North Carolina overall and −15% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally $16,570 $36,123 $55,677 $75,230 Anniston-Oxford, AL — $16,570 Dothan, AL — $16,970 Tuscaloosa, AL — $17,130 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $17,260 Montgomery, AL — $17,490 Decatur, AL — $17,720 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $17,840 Mobile, AL — $18,000 Birmingham, AL — $18,260 Huntsville, AL — $18,750 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $21,220 Ponce, PR — $22,050 Texarkana, TX-AR — $23,100 Baton Rouge, LA — $24,930 Clarksville, TN-KY — $26,620 Tyler, TX — $26,780 Canton-Massillon, OH — $27,070 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $27,240 Aguadilla, PR — $27,950 Savannah, GA — $28,180 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $28,190 Lafayette, LA — $29,130 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $29,510 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $30,070 Knoxville, TN — $31,340 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $31,650 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA — $33,620 Toledo, OH — $33,810 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $33,850 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $34,050 Morgantown, WV — $34,330 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $34,450 Charleston, WV — $34,540 Laredo, TX — $34,790 Fayetteville, NC — $35,050 San Angelo, TX — $35,060 Beckley, WV — $35,070 Goldsboro, NC — $35,190 Wheeling, WV-OH — $35,350 Florence, SC — $35,460 Sherman-Denison, TX — $35,470 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $35,790 Warner Robins, GA — $35,870 Jackson, MS — $36,310 Enid, OK — $36,470 Amarillo, TX — $36,490 Wilmington, NC — $36,490 Greenville, NC — $36,500 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $36,780 Winston-Salem, NC — $36,820 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $36,840 Columbia, SC — $36,960 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $36,970 Burlington, NC — $36,990 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $37,130 Greensboro-High Point, NC — $37,280 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $37,280 Dover, DE — $37,620 Paducah, KY-IL — $37,750 Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $37,920 Oklahoma City, OK — $38,010 College Station-Bryan, TX — $38,220 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $38,250 Lawton, OK — $38,250 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $38,320 Raleigh-Cary, NC — $38,530 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $38,570 Macon-Bibb County, GA — $38,610 Asheville, NC — $38,620 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $38,740 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $38,790 Tulsa, OK — $38,940 Yuma, AZ — $39,210 Tallahassee, FL — $39,270 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $39,330 Johnstown, PA — $39,460 Lake Charles, LA — $39,520 Wildwood-The Villages, FL — $39,550 Cheyenne, WY — $39,640 Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $39,690 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $39,830 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $40,120 Waco, TX — $40,320 Rapid City, SD — $40,330 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $40,580 Rocky Mount, NC — $40,600 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $40,650 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ — $40,660 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $40,710 Fort Smith, AR-OK — $40,720 Altoona, PA — $40,750 Santa Fe, NM — $40,760 Lubbock, TX — $41,080 Killeen-Temple, TX — $41,200 Jackson, TN — $41,590 Great Falls, MT — $41,910 Chattanooga, TN-GA — $42,460 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $42,680 Youngstown-Warren, OH — $42,890 Kokomo, IN — $42,920 Erie, PA — $43,050 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $43,090 St. Joseph, MO-KS — $43,490 Wichita Falls, TX — $43,510 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $43,570 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $43,720 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $43,940 Pueblo, CO — $43,940 Tucson, AZ — $43,990 Chambersburg, PA — $44,000 Bay City, MI — $44,020 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $44,040 Columbia, MO — $44,090 Muncie, IN — $44,390 Idaho Falls, ID — $44,480 Flint, MI — $44,520 Owensboro, KY — $44,560 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $44,670 Kankakee, IL — $44,870 Columbus, GA-AL — $44,950 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $45,010 Longview, TX — $45,110 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $45,200 Champaign-Urbana, IL — $45,240 Bowling Green, KY — $45,250 Saginaw, MI — $45,340 Akron, OH — $45,440 Jackson, MI — $45,440 Albuquerque, NM — $45,470 Bloomington, IL — $45,500 Topeka, KS — $45,510 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $45,540 Valdosta, GA — $45,540 Rockford, IL — $45,560 Gainesville, GA — $45,590 Terre Haute, IN — $45,610 Spartanburg, SC — $45,630 State College, PA — $45,660 Reno, NV — $45,700 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA — $45,700 Lewiston, ID-WA — $45,750 Cleveland, OH — $45,780 Monroe, MI — $45,830 Manhattan, KS — $45,850 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $45,860 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $45,900 Lawrence, KS — $45,930 Eau Claire, WI — $45,950 Harrisonburg, VA — $45,950 Springfield, MO — $45,970 Battle Creek, MI — $45,980 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $46,020 Hot Springs, AR — $46,040 Wichita, KS — $46,120 Wausau, WI — $46,200 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $46,210 Billings, MT — $46,220 Cedar Rapids, IA — $46,220 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $46,230 Charlottesville, VA — $46,260 Farmington, NM — $46,260 Binghamton, NY — $46,270 Coeur d'Alene, ID — $46,270 Twin Falls, ID — $46,320 Joplin, MO-KS — $46,330 Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $46,380 Roanoke, VA — $46,380 Salisbury, MD — $46,400 Williamsport, PA — $46,420 Springfield, IL — $46,450 Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $46,460 Flagstaff, AZ — $46,460 Bozeman, MT — $46,510 Mankato, MN — $46,580 Lancaster, PA — $46,590 Logan, UT-ID — $46,600 Green Bay, WI — $46,610 Bangor, ME — $46,630 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $46,630 Albany, GA — $46,640 Missoula, MT — $46,650 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $46,720 Casper, WY — $46,740 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $46,760 Duluth, MN-WI — $46,780 Appleton, WI — $46,790 Jonesboro, AR — $46,790 El Paso, TX — $46,800 Fargo, ND-MN — $46,840 Pittsburgh, PA — $46,840 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $46,840 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $46,870 Rome, GA — $46,890 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $46,910 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $47,030 Jefferson City, MO — $47,040 Gainesville, FL — $47,050 York-Hanover, PA — $47,060 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $47,100 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $47,120 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $47,150 Jacksonville, FL — $47,180 Niles, MI — $47,210 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $47,310 Colorado Springs, CO — $47,330 Reading, PA — $47,330 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $47,350 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $47,360 Abilene, TX — $47,370 Columbus, OH — $47,380 Boise City, ID — $47,550 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL — $47,550 New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $47,570 Albany, OR — $47,580 Bismarck, ND — $47,590 Winchester, VA-WV — $47,670 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $47,970 Homosassa Springs, FL — $47,980 Yuba City, CA — $48,010 Fort Wayne, IN — $48,020 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $48,060 Peoria, IL — $48,100 St. Louis, MO-IL — $48,100 Elizabethtown, KY — $48,110 Evansville, IN — $48,110 Kansas City, MO-KS — $48,110 Eugene-Springfield, OR — $48,140 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $48,150 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $48,150 St. Cloud, MN — $48,160 Lynchburg, VA — $48,210 Port St. Lucie, FL — $48,240 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $48,290 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY — $48,290 Utica-Rome, NY — $48,300 Victoria, TX — $48,380 Bloomington, IN — $48,450 Madison, WI — $48,450 Traverse City, MI — $48,480 Iowa City, IA — $48,530 Athens-Clarke County, GA — $48,630 Rochester, MN — $48,660 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $48,760 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $48,820 Corvallis, OR — $49,030 Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $49,100 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $49,180 Richmond, VA — $49,370 Manchester-Nashua, NH — $49,460 Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $49,470 Naples-Marco Island, FL — $49,590 Hinesville, GA — $49,600 Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $49,760 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $49,770 Ann Arbor, MI — $49,780 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $49,890 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $50,040 Monroe, LA — $50,060 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $50,190 Glens Falls, NY — $50,200 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $50,240 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $50,300 Elmira, NY — $50,370 St. George, UT — $50,510 Omaha, NE-IA — $50,850 Kingston, NY — $51,250 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $51,500 Salem, OR — $51,570 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $51,600 Rochester, NY — $51,780 Walla Walla, WA — $51,840 Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $51,880 Greeley, CO — $51,890 Portland-South Portland, ME — $51,910 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $51,960 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $52,250 Lexington-Fayette, KY — $52,260 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $52,480 Yakima, WA — $52,480 Fresno, CA — $52,650 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $52,670 Ogden, UT — $52,890 Anchorage, AK — $52,930 Grand Forks, ND-MN — $53,270 Kennewick-Richland, WA — $53,750 Vallejo, CA — $54,030 Ithaca, NY — $54,620 Ames, IA — $54,780 Decatur, IL — $54,830 Sheboygan, WI — $55,290 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA — $55,580 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $55,640 Lincoln, NE — $55,760 Minot, ND — $55,880 Lexington Park, MD — $55,990 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $56,640 Helena, MT — $56,760 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $56,790 Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $56,870 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $57,050 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $57,440 Syracuse, NY — $57,590 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $57,610 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $57,850 Chico, CA — $58,080 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $59,100 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $59,310 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $59,320 Bend, OR — $59,330 Visalia, CA — $59,490 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $59,610 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $59,790 Medford, OR — $59,850 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $59,990 Barnstable Town, MA — $60,270 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $60,390 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $60,420 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $60,440 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $60,460 Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $60,600 Boulder, CO — $60,950 Urban Honolulu, HI — $61,220 Pittsfield, MA — $61,330 Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $61,550 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $61,560 Stockton-Lodi, CA — $61,570 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $61,580 Merced, CA — $61,580 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $61,720 Longview-Kelso, WA — $61,730 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $61,900 New Haven, CT — $62,160 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $62,190 Salinas, CA — $62,390 El Centro, CA — $62,610 Modesto, CA — $62,870 Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $63,400 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $63,710 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $65,170 Worcester, MA — $65,640 Springfield, MA — $65,730 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $66,380 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $66,880 Napa, CA — $67,430 Bellingham, WA — $69,640 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $72,070 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $73,680 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $75,230 Durham metro area Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The Durham metro area has the 262nd-highest published median for this occupation among the 348 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Other metro areas in North Carolina Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for bus drivers, school, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
Durham metro areathis page
$40,650 median for Durham metro area; middle half earns $38,700 to $45,490
$46,020 median for Charlotte metro area; middle half earns $37,480 to $46,740
$40,600 median for Rocky Mount metro area; middle half earns $31,360 to $40,600
$38,620 median for Asheville metro area; middle half earns $36,990 to $45,280
$38,530 median for Raleigh metro area; middle half earns $36,400 to $39,360
$37,280 median for Greensboro metro area; middle half earns $36,660 to $44,710
$36,990 median for Burlington metro area; middle half earns $35,430 to $37,860
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
Keep exploring Other occupations in the same SOC group with published medians here, largest employment first:
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $37,750 Stockers and Order Fillers $36,410 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $53,280 Light Truck Drivers $40,730 First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $62,000 Packers and Packagers, Hand $36,220 Highest-paying metro areas for bus drivers, schools · Highest-paying occupations in Durham Metro
About this estimate These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology .