SOC 53-3051 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro

Bus Drivers, School Salary in Riverside, CA

The average salary for bus drivers, school in Riverside, California is $57,890 a year ($27.83 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $61,900: half of the 2,980 people in this job in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 20% more than the U.S. average for this job ($48,430).

$57,890average per year

$27.83 / hourMedian $61,900Take-home ≈ $47,029

  • $43K10th
  • $49K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $65K75th
  • $72K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

2,980people in this job
+20%vs U.S. average
#15 of 23California metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Bus Drivers, School pay range in Riverside

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,780 a year or less, while the top 10% make $72,170 or more. The middle half of bus drivers, school in Riverside earn between $49,000 and $64,580.

  • $43K10th
  • $49K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $65K75th
  • $72K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$57,890$4,824$27.83
Median$61,900$5,158$29.76
Entry level (25th percentile)$49,000$4,083$23.56
Experienced (75th percentile)$64,580$5,382$31.05

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Bus Drivers, School pay in Riverside vs. California and the U.S.

Bus drivers, school in Riverside earn 4% less than the California average ($60,520) and 20% more than the U.S. average ($48,430). At the median the gap is +29% against the U.S. median of $47,920.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Riverside$57,890$61,900$42,780$72,1702,980
California$60,520$61,040$45,870$73,68016,600
United States$48,430$47,920$29,240$65,730402,930

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Bus Drivers, School salary after taxes in Riverside

On the average salary of $57,890, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $47,029 a year, or $3,919 a month and $1,809 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Riverside a good place for bus drivers, school? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $57,890 buys what about $54,386 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 10.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $57,890 is worth in another city

Bus Drivers, School salary in other California cities

Riverside ranks 15th of 23 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($70,900).

All Bus Drivers, School salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for bus drivers, school

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($70,900).

Bus Drivers, School salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Bus Drivers, School in Riverside, CA.

Bus Drivers, School salary in Riverside: questions

How much do bus drivers, school make an hour in Riverside?

$27.83 an hour on average, and $29.76 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level bus drivers, school salary in Riverside?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,780 a year and the 25th percentile is $49,000, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the bus drivers, school take-home pay in Riverside?

About $47,029 a year ($3,919 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $57,890. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do bus drivers, school earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?

The average here is 20% more than the U.S. average for this job ($48,430).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-3051; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.7%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.67, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.67).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.