Bus Drivers, School Salary

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $17K, rent takes 165% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,044/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new bus drivers, schools typically earn — is $16K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $977/month.

Local pay runs 64% below the national median — $17K here vs. $48K nationally.

Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area pays $17K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -64%.

The median is $17,070 a year, that works out to about $8 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $16,280, and experienced bus drivers, schools can clear $17,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,239/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 165% 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.

Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median bus drivers, school salary is worth about $17,070 in national-average purchasing power.

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.