Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity
Also called: Bus Driver, Bus Operator, Motor Coach Operator, Transit Bus DriverDrive bus or motor coach, including regular route operations, charters, and private carriage. May assist passengers with baggage. May collect fares or tickets.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 5 of its 14 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 4.1% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.0% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 60% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.4.3 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $37,700 | $35,990 to $45,950 | 960 |
| Alaska | $64,150 | $63,450 to $67,050 | 250 |
| Arizona | $53,870 | $45,620 to $59,230 | 3,240 |
| Arkansas | $37,520 | $34,230 to $43,090 | 570 |
| California | $67,130 | $55,540 to $76,920 | 24,380 |
| Colorado | $63,010 | $55,610 to $66,840 | 3,540 |
| Connecticut | $60,100 | $49,120 to $75,040 | 1,830 |
| Delaware | $60,510 | $45,640 to $65,710 | 380 |
| District of Columbia | $55,580 | $55,580 to $57,650 | 150 |
| Florida | $48,300 | $44,060 to $61,350 | 9,130 |
| Georgia | $45,500 | $42,100 to $57,940 | 3,700 |
| Hawaii | $68,500 | $57,190 to $68,500 | 2,190 |
| Idaho | $49,000 | $44,500 to $55,440 | 520 |
| Illinois | $65,200 | $57,430 to $85,990 | 8,650 |
| Indiana | $58,410 | $47,700 to $61,480 | 2,130 |
| Iowa | $45,890 | $36,720 to $54,450 | 1,560 |
| Kansas | $41,340 | $36,110 to $49,970 | 430 |
| Kentucky | $54,550 | $38,310 to $61,100 | 2,570 |
| Louisiana | $48,860 | $37,090 to $63,440 | 1,490 |
| Maine | $57,870 | $47,670 to $63,360 | 470 |
| Maryland | $65,220 | $54,780 to $81,480 | 4,890 |
| Massachusetts | $65,460 | $58,650 to $93,500 | 3,970 |
| Michigan | $47,660 | $40,600 to $52,310 | 3,620 |
| Minnesota | $50,200 | $46,010 to $58,460 | 2,610 |
| Mississippi | $38,570 | $35,790 to $43,980 | 400 |
| Missouri | $60,660 | $46,870 to $61,140 | 1,860 |
| Montana | $45,640 | $39,480 to $55,870 | 450 |
| Nebraska | $45,120 | $39,470 to $52,950 | 460 |
| Nevada | $61,700 | $44,720 to $90,530 | 2,540 |
| New Hampshire | $54,830 | $47,860 to $64,780 | 300 |
| New Jersey | $61,140 | $53,020 to $70,700 | 6,420 |
| New Mexico | $45,610 | $38,420 to $46,510 | 580 |
| New York | $84,480 | $64,590 to $84,700 | 16,770 |
| North Carolina | $44,060 | $39,960 to $46,840 | 2,900 |
| North Dakota | $48,890 | $47,320 to $53,950 | 250 |
| Ohio | $62,760 | $47,840 to $70,000 | 4,000 |
| Oklahoma | $50,300 | $44,760 to $57,710 | 1,760 |
| Oregon | $65,510 | $57,600 to $80,170 | 2,620 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,360 | $43,520 to $63,670 | 4,710 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,230 | $24,970 to $32,230 | 510 |
| Rhode Island | $48,610 | $45,810 to $57,980 | 70 |
| South Carolina | $43,330 | $37,230 to $47,060 | 630 |
| South Dakota | $41,590 | $37,960 to $46,170 | 410 |
| Tennessee | $47,770 | $45,480 to $58,900 | 1,970 |
| Texas | $48,740 | $42,610 to $56,120 | 11,600 |
| Utah | $50,730 | $46,730 to $58,620 | 1,230 |
| Vermont | $53,830 | $47,310 to $62,630 | 440 |
| Virginia | $52,940 | $46,330 to $62,400 | 3,800 |
| Washington | $72,280 | $61,770 to $93,180 | 6,960 |
| West Virginia | $39,260 | $37,960 to $46,560 | 520 |
| Wisconsin | $52,660 | $46,310 to $61,360 | 2,220 |
| Wyoming | $45,630 | $44,600 to $62,710 | 130 |
Nationally: $59,050. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 5 of its 14 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Drive vehicles over specified routes or to specified destinations according to time schedules, complying with traffic regulations to ensure that passengers have a smooth and safe ride. | Not published |
| Not much | Park vehicles at loading areas so that passengers can board. | Not published |
| Not much | Assist passengers, such as elderly or individuals with disabilities, on and off bus, ensure they are seated properly, help carry baggage, and answer questions about bus schedules or routes. | Not published |
| Not much | Handle passenger emergencies or disruptions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Report delays or accidents. | Not published |
| Not much | Regulate heating, lighting, and ventilating systems for passenger comfort. | Not published |
See all 14 tasks
| AI + software | Advise passengers to be seated and orderly while on vehicles. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect vehicles and check gas, oil, and water levels prior to departure. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain cleanliness of bus or motor coach. | Not published |
| AI + software | Announce stops to passengers. | Not published |
| Not much | Collect tickets or cash fares from passengers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record information, such as cash receipts and ticket fares, and maintain log book. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Read maps to plan bus routes. | Not published |
| Not much | Load and unload baggage in baggage compartments. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 14 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 14 tasks fall under 13 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- #19 Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems |
Show all 13 activities
| Maintain sales or financial records | |||
| Intervene in crisis situations or emergencies | |||
| Inspect vehicles | |||
| Collect fares or payments | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Data or a spreadsheet48%
- A document or report16%
- Advice or a recommendation6%
- An analysis or summary6%
- An explanation or answer6%
How they worked with Claude
55% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for bus drivers, transit and intercity specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 34,791 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 11%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
- 4 Light Truck Drivers Moderate +6.3% 3%
- 5 Bus Drivers, School or Special Client (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Where people moved in from
of 44,450 moves in
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 6%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
- 5 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 13% less than high school
- 84% high school
- 2% postsecondary certificate
- 1% some college
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 30 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 8% less than high school
- 43% high school
- 29% some college
- 8% associate's
- 8% bachelor's
- 2% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 2,453 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>99.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | >99.5% | 19.1% |
| a certification | <0.5% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (COACH OPERATOR; Transit Coach Operator). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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