SOC 53-3051 · Champaign-Urbana, IL metro

Bus Drivers, School Salary in Champaign, IL

The average salary for bus drivers, school in Champaign, Illinois is $45,850 a year ($22.05 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $45,240: half of the 280 people in this job in the Champaign-Urbana, IL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($49,634).

$45,850average per year

$22.05 / hourMedian $45,240Take-home ≈ $36,892

  • $37K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $45KMedian
  • $50K75th
  • $59K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

280people in this job
-8%vs U.S. metro average
#7 of 8Illinois metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Bus Drivers, School pay range in Champaign

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,360 a year or less, while the top 10% make $59,060 or more. The middle half of bus drivers, school in Champaign earn between $38,130 and $50,170.

  • $37K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $45KMedian
  • $50K75th
  • $59K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$45,850$3,821$22.04
Median$45,240$3,770$21.75
Entry level (25th percentile)$38,130$3,178$18.33
Experienced (75th percentile)$50,170$4,181$24.12

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

Bus Drivers, School salary after taxes in Champaign

On the average salary of $45,850, a single filer in Champaign takes home about $36,892 a year, or $3,074 a month and $1,419 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

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

Prices in the Champaign area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.7), so the average $45,850 buys what about $49,458 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Champaign ($50,700). A typical home costs $237,290, or 5.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $45,850 is worth in another city

Bus Drivers, School salary in other Illinois cities

Champaign ranks 7th of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job; Decatur pays the most ($56,450).

All Bus Drivers, School salaries in Illinois

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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Bus Drivers, School salary in Champaign: questions

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

$22.05 an hour on average, and $21.75 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,360 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,130, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $36,892 a year ($3,074 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $45,850.

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

The average here is 8% less 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 Champaign-Urbana, IL (16580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.6%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.04, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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