Bus Drivers, School Salary
In Delaware, bus drivers, schools earn $42,390 at the median, or about $20.38 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.51), that's roughly $43,472 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,448/month, about 49.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Delaware. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $42K actually covers in Delaware, month by month
About bus drivers, schools
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What this looks like in Delaware
Pay for bus drivers, school in Delaware runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,448/month, which is 50.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for bus drivers, school.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Delaware
Entry-level bus drivers, schools (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $25K spread from bottom to top.
Bus Drivers, School salary by metro in Delaware
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | $38K | -11% | 330 |
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a bus drivers, school afford a 2BR apartment alone in Delaware?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 50.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,448/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bus drivers, schools in Delaware?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bus drivers, schools typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,485/month. At HUD’s $1,448/month FMR, rent would take 58% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is bus drivers, school a high-paying job in Delaware?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $42K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does Delaware compare to the national average for bus drivers, schools?
Delaware pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do bus drivers, schools make in Delaware?
The median is $42,390 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,380, and experienced bus drivers, schools can clear $60,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Delaware?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,860/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,448/month, which eats 50.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a bus drivers, school salary go in Delaware?
Delaware has a Regional Price Parity of 97.51 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median bus drivers, school salary is worth about $43,472 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do bus drivers, schools get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.