Is Columbus a strong pay market for Bus Drivers?

At a $73,790 median, Columbus is $14,740 (25%) above the national median. The U.S. median is $59,050. Jobeezy shows you which local employers actually pay at the top of that band before you apply.

How can I earn more as a Bus Driver in Columbus?

Target employers paying toward the $73,790 (75th-percentile) mark and anchor your negotiation to the BLS band. Jobeezy fit-scores Bus Driver openings in Columbus and auto-applies, so you reach more high-paying employers fast.

How many Bus Drivers work in Columbus?

BLS estimates roughly 700 bus driver jobs across Columbus, OH (May 2025 metro employment — a count of jobs, not of salaries reported).

Bus Driver Salary in Columbus, OH (2026)

Median in Columbus: $73,790/year — $14,740 (25%) above the national median. Typical range: $48,250–$73,790.

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BLS OEWS May 2025 · Columbus, OH metro · refreshed 2026-08-25 · Reviewed by Dalton Metzler · U.S. Bus Driver salary overview

The median Bus Driver salary in Columbus, OH is $73,790/year ($14,740 (25%) above the national median), with a typical range of $48,250–$73,790. Data from BLS + Jobeezy ghost-filter (2026).

Salary stats
Metric	Value	Source
Median	$73,790/year	BLS OEWS May 2025
25th-75th pct	$48,250–$73,790	BLS OEWS May 2025
Metro employment	~700	BLS OEWS May 2025

### Key facts: Bus Driver pay in Columbus, OH BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data for Bus Drivers in the Columbus, OH metro. - Median Bus Driver pay in Columbus, OH: $73,790/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). - That is $14,740 (25%) above the national median (U.S. median $59,050). - 25th-75th percentile band: $48,250–$73,790. - BLS estimated metro employment: ~700 jobs.

Bus Driver pay distribution in Columbus, OH

25th Pct (Columbus) $48,250 $23.20/hr

Median (Columbus) $73,790 $35.47/hr

75th Pct (Columbus) $73,790 $35.48/hr

National median: $59,050/yr. Columbus is $14,740 (25%) above the national median.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 — Columbus, OH metro area (SOC 53-3052, Bus Driver).

What bus driver pay in Columbus really looks like

Columbus is a standout-pay market for bus drivers. The local median of $73,790 a year runs $14,740 (25%) above the national median of $59,050, one of the widest premiums in the country for this occupation. Offers benchmarked to U.S.-wide averages will read far too low here — hold out for the local number, and treat the metro median as your floor, not your target.

The local range is moderate — $48,250 at the 25th percentile to $73,790 at the 75th (BLS). Half of Columbus Bus Drivers earn inside that band, so it is a realistic target window: an offer near $73,790 is genuinely strong for the metro, while anything under $48,250 is worth pushing back on with the BLS figures in hand.

This is a substantial local market: BLS estimates roughly 700 bus driver jobs across the Columbus, OH metro area (a count of metro employment, not a survey of reported salaries). A deep employer base is good news for pay — it means more openings to compare side by side, more turnover creating vacancies, and more leverage to hold out for an employer at the top of the local range instead of settling for the first offer that lands.

Right now, Jobeezy is tracking 24 open bus driver jobs in Columbus against the BLS $73,790 benchmark — the live listings and the employers hiring are below, so you can see which openings actually clear the metro median before you apply.

Put it together and the picture for Columbus is concrete: a metro median of $73,790 with most bus drivers landing between $48,250 and $73,790. The practical move is to aim for the upper half of that band. Jobeezy fit-scores local bus driver openings, surfaces the employers posting toward $73,790, and applies for you — so your time goes to the jobs that clear the Columbus median, not the ones that sit under it.

Bus Driver pay by hour, week, month & year in Columbus

Period	Typical Pay
Per hour	$35.47
Per week (40 hrs)	$1,419
Per month	$6,149
Per year	$73,790

How we know this — Columbus sources

Wage figures for Bus Driver in Columbus, OH are the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 estimate for the Columbus, OH metro area (MSA code 18140) (SOC 53-3052), released 2026-08-25. Suppressed cells are shown as an em dash, never a zero.

Reviewed by Dalton Metzler · Jobeezy Compensation Data

Grow your bus driver pay in Columbus

Advancing your pay in Columbus comes down to experience, credentials, and how you negotiate. We keep that guidance on the national Bus Driver guide so it stays current in one place:

Compare Bus Driver pay in nearby metros

Beyond Bus Driver · same Columbus BLS dataset

Other roles hiring in Columbus, OH alongside bus drivers, drawn from the same BLS OEWS May 2025 dataset:

See all OH jobs → OH salary overview →

Bus Driver pay in Columbus, OH — common questions

How much does a Bus Driver make in Columbus, OH?: The median Bus Driver salary in Columbus, OH is $73,790/year ($14,740 (25%) above the national median), with a typical range of $48,250–$73,790 (25th–75th percentile). Figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-08-25.
Is Columbus a strong pay market for Bus Drivers?: At a $73,790 median, Columbus is $14,740 (25%) above the national median. The U.S. median is $59,050. Jobeezy shows you which local employers actually pay at the top of that band before you apply.
How can I earn more as a Bus Driver in Columbus?: Target employers paying toward the $73,790 (75th-percentile) mark and anchor your negotiation to the BLS band. Jobeezy fit-scores Bus Driver openings in Columbus and auto-applies, so you reach more high-paying employers fast.
How many Bus Drivers work in Columbus?: BLS estimates roughly 700 bus driver jobs across Columbus, OH (May 2025 metro employment — a count of jobs, not of salaries reported).