SalaryExplorer

SOC 53-3052 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity — El Paso

El Paso, TX · 10 metro areas compared

$38,730 /year
$18.62per hour
440jobs in area
−34.4%vs US median

Median pay in El Paso, TX is $38,730 a year, 34.4% under the national median of $59,050 for this occupation.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $59,05010TH$31,900MEDIAN$38,73075TH$45,92090TH$45,920

How pay has moved

$41,030$27,2302019202020212022202320242025$38,730
$30,890 in 2019 to $38,730 in 2025, +25.4% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+4.3%
Openings per year
20,900
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for El Paso, TX.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

Median pay in El Paso, TX is $38,730 a year, 34.4% under the national median of $59,050 for this occupation. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $37,530 and $45,920. The lowest tenth earn under $31,900, while the highest tenth earn more than $45,920.

The area has 440 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 1.3 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, Dallas records the highest median at $56,120. Of the 476 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 328th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · El Paso, TX · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$31,900−46.0%
25th$37,530−36.4%
Median (50th)$38,730−34.4%
75th$45,920−22.2%
90th$45,920−22.2%
Mean$40,000−32.3%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Texas

Median annual wage for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Dallas$56,1202,280
2Midland$51,95070
3San Antonio$50,8801,270
4Houston$50,4303,400
5Austin$46,8601,700
6Beaumont$45,620130
7McAllen$42,360190
8Corpus Christi$39,11090
9Longview$38,99040
10Tyler$38,99040

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in El Paso run 10.1% below the national average, so the median of $38,730 goes as far as $43,081 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 27.0% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$38,730as reported by BLS

Local price level

89.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$43,081US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $38,730 a year, 34.4% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $31,900 to $45,920 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 440 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Dallas, at $56,120.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity in El Paso, TX?

The median annual wage is $38,730, or $18.62 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $59,050, so pay in El Paso, TX is 34.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in El Paso, TX earns more than $45,920 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $31,900 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Dallas, at $56,120 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 440 jobs in this occupation in El Paso, TX. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Salary in El Paso, TX (2025): $38,730 Median | Salary Explorer