SOC 53-3051 · Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro

Bus Drivers, School Salary in Charleston, SC

The average salary for bus drivers, school in Charleston, South Carolina is $46,430 a year ($22.32 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $46,460: half of the 950 people in this job in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 4% less than the U.S. average for this job ($48,430).

$46,430average per year

$22.32 / hourMedian $46,460Take-home ≈ $38,724

  • $37K10th
  • $42K25th
  • $46KMedian
  • $49K75th
  • $60K90th

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

950people in this job
-4%vs U.S. average
#1 of 7South Carolina metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Bus Drivers, School pay range in Charleston

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,330 a year or less, while the top 10% make $59,840 or more. The middle half of bus drivers, school in Charleston earn between $42,360 and $48,690.

  • $37K10th
  • $42K25th
  • $46KMedian
  • $49K75th
  • $60K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$46,430$3,869$22.32
Median$46,460$3,872$22.34
Entry level (25th percentile)$42,360$3,530$20.37
Experienced (75th percentile)$48,690$4,058$23.41

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

Bus Drivers, School pay in Charleston vs. South Carolina and the U.S.

Bus drivers, school in Charleston earn 17% more than the South Carolina average ($39,640) and 4% less than the U.S. average ($48,430). At the median the gap is -3% against the U.S. median of $47,920.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Charleston$46,430$46,460$37,330$59,840950
South Carolina$39,640$39,900$23,640$57,1505,900
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 Charleston

On the average salary of $46,430, a single filer in Charleston takes home about $38,724 a year, or $3,227 a month and $1,489 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

South Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Charleston area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 101.0), so the average $46,430 buys what about $45,988 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Charleston ($49,150). A typical home costs $435,877, or 9.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $46,430 is worth in another city

Bus Drivers, School salary in other South Carolina cities

Charleston ranks 1st of 7 South Carolina metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Bus Drivers, School salaries in South Carolina

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 Charleston, SC.

Bus Drivers, School salary in Charleston: questions

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

$22.32 an hour on average, and $22.34 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,330 a year and the 25th percentile is $42,360, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $38,724 a year ($3,227 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $46,430.

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

The average here is 4% less 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 Charleston-North Charleston, SC (16700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.2%.
  • 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 (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.93, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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