SOC 53-3052 · Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Salary in Bakersfield, CA

The average salary for bus drivers, transit and intercity in Bakersfield, California is $51,000 a year ($24.52 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $49,000: half of the 330 people in this job in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($60,280).

$51,000average per year

$24.52 / hourMedian $49,000Take-home ≈ $41,906

  • $40K10th
  • $40K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $63K75th
  • $63K90th

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

330people in this job
-15%vs U.S. average
#13 of 13California metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity pay range in Bakersfield

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,190 a year or less, while the top 10% make $63,300 or more. The middle half of bus drivers, transit and intercity in Bakersfield earn between $40,190 and $63,300.

  • $40K10th
  • $40K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $63K75th
  • $63K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$51,000$4,250$24.52
Median$49,000$4,083$23.56
Entry level (25th percentile)$40,190$3,349$19.32
Experienced (75th percentile)$63,300$5,275$30.43

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

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity pay in Bakersfield vs. California and the U.S.

Bus drivers, transit and intercity in Bakersfield earn 24% less than the California average ($66,930) and 15% less than the U.S. average ($60,280). At the median the gap is -17% against the U.S. median of $59,050.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Bakersfield$51,000$49,000$40,190$63,300330
California$66,930$67,130$48,600$90,81024,380
United States$60,280$59,050$40,030$84,700159,240

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity salary after taxes in Bakersfield

On the average salary of $51,000, a single filer in Bakersfield takes home about $41,906 a year, or $3,492 a month and $1,612 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% 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.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Bakersfield a good place for bus drivers, transit and intercity? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Bakersfield area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.9), so the average $51,000 buys what about $50,552 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Bakersfield ($47,470). A typical home costs $364,264, or 7.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $51,000 is worth in another city

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity salary in other California cities

Bakersfield ranks 13th of 13 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($76,190).

All Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for bus drivers, transit and intercity

Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($79,800).

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity salary by city

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Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity salary in Bakersfield: questions

How much do bus drivers, transit and intercity make an hour in Bakersfield?

$24.52 an hour on average, and $23.56 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level bus drivers, transit and intercity salary in Bakersfield?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,190 a year and the 25th percentile is $40,190, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the bus drivers, transit and intercity take-home pay in Bakersfield?

About $41,906 a year ($3,492 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $51,000. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do bus drivers, transit and intercity earn more in Bakersfield than elsewhere?

The average here is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($60,280).

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 53-3052; area Bakersfield-Delano, CA (12540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.9%.
  • 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 (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.96, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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