Bus Drivers, School Salary
In Wilmington, NC, bus drivers, schools earn $36,490 at the median, or about $17.54 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $37,845 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 56.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About bus drivers, schools
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What this looks like in Wilmington
Pay for bus drivers, school in Wilmington runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,426/month, which is 57.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) 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, schools.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bus drivers, schools in metros near Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $46K | $47K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $39K | $39K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $37K | $40K |
| Winston-Salem | $37K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level bus drivers, schools (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Bus Drivers, School pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Bus Drivers, School salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $65K | +36% | 9,330 |
| Washington | $63K | +32% | 9,660 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +28% | 7,970 |
| California | $61K | +27% | 16,600 |
| New Jersey | $59K | +24% | 13,670 |
| Hawaii | $59K | +23% | 630 |
| Rhode Island | $59K | +22% | 1,800 |
| New York | $57K | +18% | 38,320 |
| Vermont | $57K | +18% | 860 |
| Maryland | $56K | +18% | 9,020 |
| District of Columbia | $55K | +16% | 510 |
| Alaska | $54K | +13% | 790 |
| Utah | $53K | +10% | 1,920 |
| Colorado | $53K | +10% | 3,840 |
| Oregon | $51K | +7% | 5,210 |
| New Hampshire | $51K | +6% | 2,040 |
| North Dakota | $51K | +6% | 1,530 |
| Virginia | $50K | +5% | 12,930 |
| Illinois | $49K | +2% | 21,230 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +2% | 13,110 |
| Maine | $49K | +2% | 1,670 |
| Indiana | $48K | +0% | 11,780 |
| Nebraska | $48K | -0% | 2,330 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | -0% | 7,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -1% | 23,670 |
| Missouri | $47K | -2% | 8,970 |
| Michigan | $46K | -3% | 8,780 |
| Iowa | $46K | -3% | 4,840 |
| Idaho | $46K | -3% | 2,960 |
| Montana | $46K | -4% | 1,630 |
| Arizona | $46K | -4% | 5,020 |
| Kansas | $46K | -4% | 4,830 |
| Ohio | $46K | -4% | 5,540 |
| Wyoming | $46K | -5% | 1,360 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -5% | 4,340 |
| New Mexico | $45K | -5% | 1,870 |
| Georgia | $45K | -6% | 16,880 |
| Kentucky | $45K | -6% | 6,820 |
| Florida | $45K | -7% | 13,470 |
| Tennessee | $45K | -7% | 7,050 |
| Texas | $44K | -7% | 37,550 |
| Delaware | $42K | -12% | 1,350 |
| South Carolina | $40K | -17% | 5,900 |
| South Dakota | $40K | -17% | 1,290 |
| North Carolina | $37K | -22% | 12,390 |
| Nevada | $37K | -22% | 2,590 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -23% | 3,710 |
| West Virginia | $33K | -30% | 4,690 |
| Mississippi | $31K | -36% | 3,790 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -39% | 6,670 |
| Alabama | $18K | -63% | 10,410 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track bus drivers, school salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bus drivers, school afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 57.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bus drivers, schools typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,670/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 85% 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 Wilmington?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $36K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for bus drivers, schools?
Wilmington pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do bus drivers, schools make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $36,490 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,840, and experienced bus drivers, schools can clear $43,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,476/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 57.6% 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 Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (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 $37,845 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.