Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Salary
In San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA, bus drivers, transit and intercities earn $54,140 at the median, or about $26.03 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.6), so that salary is closer to $49,853 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,512/month, about 71.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles’s Regional Price Parity (108.6). 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, transit and intercities
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What this looks like in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
Bus drivers, transit and intercity pay in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,512/month, which is 68.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.6), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bus drivers, transit and intercities in metros near San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Fresno | $62K | $61K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $68K | $60K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $79K | $68K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $61K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
Entry-level bus drivers, transit and intercities (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $84K | +43% | 16,770 |
| Washington | $72K | +22% | 6,960 |
| Hawaii | $69K | +16% | 2,190 |
| California | $67K | +14% | 24,380 |
| Oregon | $66K | +11% | 2,620 |
| Massachusetts | $65K | +11% | 3,970 |
| Maryland | $65K | +10% | 4,890 |
| Illinois | $65K | +10% | 8,650 |
| Alaska | $64K | +9% | 250 |
| Colorado | $63K | +7% | 3,540 |
| Ohio | $63K | +6% | 4,000 |
| Nevada | $62K | +4% | 2,540 |
| New Jersey | $61K | +4% | 6,420 |
| Missouri | $61K | +3% | 1,860 |
| Delaware | $61K | +2% | 380 |
| Connecticut | $60K | +2% | 1,830 |
| Indiana | $58K | -1% | 2,130 |
| Maine | $58K | -2% | 470 |
| District of Columbia | $56K | -6% | 150 |
| New Hampshire | $55K | -7% | 300 |
| Kentucky | $55K | -8% | 2,570 |
| Arizona | $54K | -9% | 3,240 |
| Vermont | $54K | -9% | 440 |
| Virginia | $53K | -10% | 3,800 |
| Wisconsin | $53K | -11% | 2,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $51K | -13% | 4,710 |
| Utah | $51K | -14% | 1,230 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -15% | 1,760 |
| Minnesota | $50K | -15% | 2,610 |
| Idaho | $49K | -17% | 520 |
| North Dakota | $49K | -17% | 250 |
| Louisiana | $49K | -17% | 1,490 |
| Texas | $49K | -17% | 11,600 |
| Rhode Island | $49K | -18% | 70 |
| Florida | $48K | -18% | 9,130 |
| Tennessee | $48K | -19% | 1,970 |
| Michigan | $48K | -19% | 3,620 |
| Iowa | $46K | -22% | 1,560 |
| Montana | $46K | -23% | 450 |
| Wyoming | $46K | -23% | 130 |
| New Mexico | $46K | -23% | 580 |
| Georgia | $46K | -23% | 3,700 |
| Nebraska | $45K | -24% | 460 |
| North Carolina | $44K | -25% | 2,900 |
| South Carolina | $43K | -27% | 630 |
| South Dakota | $42K | -30% | 410 |
| Kansas | $41K | -30% | 430 |
| West Virginia | $39K | -34% | 520 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -35% | 400 |
| Alabama | $38K | -36% | 960 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -36% | 570 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track bus drivers, transit and intercity salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a bus drivers, transit and intercity afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 68.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,512/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bus drivers, transit and intercities in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bus drivers, transit and intercities typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,977/month. At HUD’s $2,512/month FMR, rent would take 84% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is bus drivers, transit and intercity a high-paying job in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles compare to the national average for bus drivers, transit and intercities?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — below the national median.
How much do bus drivers, transit and intercities make in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
The median is $54,140 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,610, and experienced bus drivers, transit and intercities can clear $64,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,667/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,512/month, which eats 68.5% 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, transit and intercity salary go in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles has a Regional Price Parity of 108.6 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median bus drivers, transit and intercity salary is worth about $49,853 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do bus drivers, transit and intercities 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.