Bus Drivers, School pay range in Salinas
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,630 a year or less, while the top 10% make $70,760 or more. The middle half of bus drivers, school in Salinas earn between $52,810 and $64,330.
- $46K10th
- $53K25th
- $62KMedian
- $64K75th
- $71K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $59,670 | $4,972 | $28.69 |
| Median | $62,390 | $5,199 | $30.00 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $52,810 | $4,401 | $25.39 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $64,330 | $5,361 | $30.93 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Bus Drivers, School salary after taxes in Salinas
On the average salary of $59,670, a single filer in Salinas takes home about $48,352 a year, or $4,029 a month and $1,860 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.
Is Salinas a good place for bus drivers, school? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Salinas area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 109.0), so the average $59,670 buys what about $54,722 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Salinas ($47,380). A typical home costs $850,461, or 14.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Bus Drivers, School salary in other California cities
Salinas ranks 9th of 23 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($70,900).
- San Jose$70,900
- San Francisco$69,190
- Napa$68,150
- Los Angeles$61,180
- Santa Maria$60,640
- Santa Rosa$60,120
- Modesto$60,070
- Oxnard$59,910
- Salinas$59,670
- El Centro$59,640
Highest-paying cities for bus drivers, school
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($70,900).
- San Jose, CA$70,900
- San Francisco, CA$69,190
- Napa, CA$68,150
- Mount Vernon, WA$68,110
- Seattle, WA$67,350
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Bus Drivers, School salary in Salinas: questions
How much do bus drivers, school make an hour in Salinas?
$28.69 an hour on average, and $29.99 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level bus drivers, school salary in Salinas?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,630 a year and the 25th percentile is $52,810, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the bus drivers, school take-home pay in Salinas?
About $48,352 a year ($4,029 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $59,670. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do bus drivers, school earn more in Salinas than elsewhere?
The average here is 20% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($49,634).
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 Salinas, CA (41500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.0%.
- 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 0.29, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.29).
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