SOC 53-3051 · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro

Bus Drivers, School Salary in Kingsport, TN

The average salary for bus drivers, school in Kingsport, Tennessee is $47,500 a year ($22.84 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $48,820: half of the 450 people in this job in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($48,430).

$47,500average per year

$22.84 / hourMedian $48,820Take-home ≈ $40,346

  • $28K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $51K75th
  • $63K90th

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

450people in this job
-2%vs U.S. average
#3 of 7Tennessee metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Bus Drivers, School pay range in Kingsport

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,240 a year or less, while the top 10% make $62,820 or more. The middle half of bus drivers, school in Kingsport earn between $46,340 and $50,850.

  • $28K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $51K75th
  • $63K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$47,500$3,958$22.84
Median$48,820$4,068$23.47
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,340$3,862$22.28
Experienced (75th percentile)$50,850$4,238$24.45

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

Bus Drivers, School pay in Kingsport vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Bus drivers, school in Kingsport earn 9% more than the Tennessee average ($43,400) and about the same as the U.S. average ($48,430). At the median the gap is +2% against the U.S. median of $47,920.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Kingsport$47,500$48,820$28,240$62,820450
Tennessee$43,400$44,510$22,900$61,6007,050
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 Kingsport

On the average salary of $47,500, a single filer in Kingsport takes home about $40,346 a year, or $3,362 a month and $1,552 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

The Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in TN$40,346$3,362
Working in VA$38,429$3,202

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Tennessee paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Kingsport area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.4), so the average $47,500 buys what about $54,947 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Kingsport ($45,240). A typical home costs $246,242, or 5.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $47,500 is worth in another city

Bus Drivers, School salary in other Tennessee cities

Kingsport ranks 3rd of 7 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Jackson pays the most ($48,930).

All Bus Drivers, School salaries in Tennessee

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 Kingsport, TN.

Bus Drivers, School salary in Kingsport: questions

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

$22.84 an hour on average, and $23.47 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,240 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,340, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $40,346 a year ($3,362 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $47,500. Tennessee has no state income tax.

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

The average here is about the same as 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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA (28700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.46, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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