SOC 53-3051 · Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro

Bus Drivers, School Salary in Watertown, NY

The average salary for bus drivers, school in Watertown, New York is $50,190 a year ($24.13 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $48,290: half of the 180 people in this job in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($49,634).

$50,190average per year

$24.13 / hourMedian $48,290Take-home ≈ $40,352

  • $43K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $48KMedian
  • $51K75th
  • $59K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

180people in this job
+1%vs U.S. metro average
#10 of 13New York metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Bus Drivers, School pay range in Watertown

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,580 a year or less, while the top 10% make $59,100 or more. The middle half of bus drivers, school in Watertown earn between $46,350 and $50,760.

  • $43K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $48KMedian
  • $51K75th
  • $59K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$50,190$4,182$24.13
Median$48,290$4,024$23.22
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,350$3,862$22.28
Experienced (75th percentile)$50,760$4,230$24.40

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

Bus Drivers, School salary after taxes in Watertown

On the average salary of $50,190, a single filer in Watertown takes home about $40,352 a year, or $3,363 a month and $1,552 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). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.

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

Prices in the Watertown area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.7), so the average $50,190 buys what about $57,236 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Watertown ($47,600). A typical home costs $230,401, or 4.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $50,190 is worth in another city

Bus Drivers, School salary in other New York cities

Watertown ranks 10th of 13 New York metro areas for this job; New York pays the most ($60,110).

All Bus Drivers, School salaries in New York

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 Watertown: questions

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

$24.13 an hour on average, and $23.22 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,580 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,350, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $40,352 a year ($3,363 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $50,190. New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.

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

The average here is about the same as 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY (48060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.8%.
  • 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). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.76, this job is 1.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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