Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Salary

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 69.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,875/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new bus drivers, transit and intercities typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,215/month.

Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $39K here vs. $59K nationally.

East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -33%.

BLS reports a mean (average) wage of $39,480 a year for this occupation in East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area. The median is not published because wages exceed the BLS reportable ceiling. Entry-level workers start around $36,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,712/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,875/month, which eats 69.1% 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.

East-Central Montana 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, transit and intercity salary is worth about $39,480 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.