Bus Drivers, School Salary — Sacramento, California

The average Bus Drivers, School in Sacramento, California earns $57,130 a year.

$57,130 / year, mean
↑ 15.1% above national average 26th percentile in California

Sacramento pays below most of California for this role, though still within a normal range for the state. That's a solid premium over the national average for bus drivers, school. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within California

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
600
Estimate confidence
RSE 3.1%
Cost of living 107 #18 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 2124 #140 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $582,707 #20 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $93,986 #21 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Sacramento ranks #18 for cost of living and #20 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

San Jose $70,900 San Francisco $69,190 Napa $68,150 Mount Vernon $68,110 Seattle $67,350 Bellingham $66,960 Bremerton $65,770 Trenton $64,320 Los Angeles $61,180 Santa Maria $60,640 Medford $60,530 Longview $60,230 Santa Rosa $60,120 New York $60,110 Olympia $60,080 Modesto $60,070 Portland $60,030 Oxnard $59,910 Salinas $59,670 El Centro $59,640 San Diego $58,860 Stockton $58,860 Merced $58,720 Syracuse $58,710 Chico $58,200 Kiryas Joel $57,910 Riverside $57,890 Hanford $57,630 Santa Cruz $57,230 Sacramento $57,130 Louisville $57,040 Visalia $56,870 Elmira $56,730 Bend $56,570 Kennewick $56,490 Decatur $56,450 Wenatchee $55,880 Lexington Park $55,860 Baltimore $55,130 Atlantic City $54,930 Ithaca $54,300 Vallejo $54,270 Lexington $53,940 Kingston $53,690 Salem $53,180 Buffalo $53,060 Philadelphia $52,890 Virginia Beach $52,890 Spokane $52,800 Bakersfield $52,770 Walla Walla $52,610 Yakima $52,420 Rochester $52,280 Chicago $52,260 Corvallis $52,170 Albany $52,120 Allentown $52,020 Williamsport $50,760 Albany $50,650 Springfield $50,520 Eugene $50,420 Watertown $50,190 Utica $50,090 Fresno $49,950 Staunton $49,920 Naples $49,910 Ann Arbor $49,810 Glens Falls $49,590 Elkhart $49,400 Harrisonburg $49,300 Richmond $49,290 Blacksburg $49,030 Peoria $48,570 South Bend $48,550 Indianapolis $48,520 Harrisburg $48,170 Yuba City $48,010 Monroe $48,000 Charlottesville $47,980 Traverse City $47,970 Bloomington $47,960 Lynchburg $47,710 Port St. Lucie $47,580 Fort Wayne $47,470 State College $47,400 Detroit $47,210 Kankakee $47,080 Reading $46,960 Abilene $46,760 Saginaw $46,650 Pittsburgh $46,630 Salisbury $46,580 Michigan City $46,440 Longview $46,380 Evansville $46,270 Sebastian $46,200 Lansing $46,170 Grand Rapids $46,130 Elizabethtown $46,120 Winchester $46,050 Lakeland $46,030 Austin $45,990 Lancaster $45,990 Tampa $45,860 Champaign $45,850 Dallas $45,760 Binghamton $45,740 Wichita Falls $45,710 Bloomington $45,620 Gainesville $45,520 Wildwood $45,490 Niles $45,470 Roanoke $45,380 Chambersburg $45,340 Battle Creek $45,230 York $45,220 Jacksonville $45,070 McAllen $44,860 Rockford $44,730 Jackson $44,530 Bowling Green $44,450 Flint $44,350 Bay City $44,320 El Paso $44,280 Scranton $44,200 Lafayette $43,860 Miami $43,780 Houston $43,680 Homosassa Springs $43,670 Dover $43,580 Muskegon $43,570 Erie $43,260 Waco $43,150 Victoria $43,100 Sarasota $42,960 Terre Haute $42,940 Crestview $42,890 Muncie $42,810 Palm Bay $42,790 Deltona $42,650 Lubbock $42,640 Owensboro $42,550 Fort Myers $42,390 Kalamazoo $42,320 Orlando $42,290 Beaumont $41,850 Kokomo $41,750 Tallahassee $41,270 Altoona $41,100 Hagerstown $41,090 Killeen $41,010 Johnstown $40,820 Paducah $40,790 Pensacola $40,280 Brownsville $40,140 Amarillo $39,980 College Station $38,890 San Antonio $38,020 Sherman $37,670 Laredo $36,390 San Angelo $36,290 Panama City $35,860 Huntington $35,390 Wheeling $35,250 Morgantown $33,860 Charleston $33,770 Tyler $33,710 Beckley $33,080 Weirton $32,520 Texarkana $31,050
CityMean salaryvs. Sacramento
Abilene, Texas$46,760-18.2%
Albany, Oregon$50,650-11.3%
Albany, New York$52,120-8.8%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$52,020-8.9%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$41,100-28.1%
Amarillo, Texas$39,980-30.0%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$49,810-12.8%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$54,930-3.9%
Austin, Texas$45,990-19.5%
Bakersfield, California$52,770-7.6%
Baltimore, Maryland$55,130-3.5%
Battle Creek, Michigan$45,230-20.8%
Bay City, Michigan$44,320-22.4%
Beaumont, Texas$41,850-26.7%
Beckley, West Virginia$33,080-42.1%
Bellingham, Washington$66,960+17.2%
Bend, Oregon$56,570-1.0%
Binghamton, New York$45,740-19.9%
Blacksburg, Virginia$49,030-14.2%
Bloomington, Illinois$47,960-16.1%
Bloomington, Indiana$45,620-20.1%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$44,450-22.2%
Bremerton, Washington$65,770+15.1%
Brownsville, Texas$40,140-29.7%
Buffalo, New York$53,060-7.1%
Fort Myers, Florida$42,390-25.8%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$45,340-20.6%
Champaign, Illinois$45,850-19.7%
Charleston, West Virginia$33,770-40.9%
Charlottesville, Virginia$47,980-16.0%
Chicago, Illinois$52,260-8.5%
Chico, California$58,200+1.9%
College Station, Texas$38,890-31.9%
Corvallis, Oregon$52,170-8.7%
Crestview, Florida$42,890-24.9%
Dallas, Texas$45,760-19.9%
Decatur, Illinois$56,450-1.2%
Deltona, Florida$42,650-25.3%
Detroit, Michigan$47,210-17.4%
Dover, Delaware$43,580-23.7%
El Centro, California$59,640+4.4%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$46,120-19.3%
Elkhart, Indiana$49,400-13.5%
Elmira, New York$56,730-0.7%
El Paso, Texas$44,280-22.5%
Erie, Pennsylvania$43,260-24.3%
Eugene, Oregon$50,420-11.7%
Evansville, Indiana$46,270-19.0%
Flint, Michigan$44,350-22.4%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$47,470-16.9%
Fresno, California$49,950-12.6%
Gainesville, Florida$45,520-20.3%
Glens Falls, New York$49,590-13.2%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$46,130-19.3%
Hagerstown, Maryland$41,090-28.1%
Hanford, California$57,630+0.9%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$48,170-15.7%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$49,300-13.7%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$43,670-23.6%
Houston, Texas$43,680-23.5%
Huntington, West Virginia$35,390-38.1%
Indianapolis, Indiana$48,520-15.1%
Ithaca, New York$54,300-5.0%
Jackson, Michigan$44,530-22.1%
Jacksonville, Florida$45,070-21.1%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$40,820-28.5%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$42,320-25.9%
Kankakee, Illinois$47,080-17.6%
Kennewick, Washington$56,490-1.1%
Killeen, Texas$41,010-28.2%
Kingston, New York$53,690-6.0%
Kiryas Joel, New York$57,910+1.4%
Kokomo, Indiana$41,750-26.9%
Lafayette, Indiana$43,860-23.2%
Lakeland, Florida$46,030-19.4%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$45,990-19.5%
Lansing, Michigan$46,170-19.2%
Laredo, Texas$36,390-36.3%
Lexington, Kentucky$53,940-5.6%
Lexington Park, Maryland$55,860-2.2%
Longview, Texas$46,380-18.8%
Longview, Washington$60,230+5.4%
Los Angeles, California$61,180+7.1%
Louisville, Kentucky$57,040-0.2%
Lubbock, Texas$42,640-25.4%
Lynchburg, Virginia$47,710-16.5%
McAllen, Texas$44,860-21.5%
Medford, Oregon$60,530+6.0%
Merced, California$58,720+2.8%
Miami, Florida$43,780-23.4%
Michigan City, Indiana$46,440-18.7%
Modesto, California$60,070+5.1%
Monroe, Michigan$48,000-16.0%
Morgantown, West Virginia$33,860-40.7%
Mount Vernon, Washington$68,110+19.2%
Muncie, Indiana$42,810-25.1%
Muskegon, Michigan$43,570-23.7%
Napa, California$68,150+19.3%
Naples, Florida$49,910-12.6%
New York, New York$60,110+5.2%
Niles, Michigan$45,470-20.4%
Sarasota, Florida$42,960-24.8%
Olympia, Washington$60,080+5.2%
Orlando, Florida$42,290-26.0%
Owensboro, Kentucky$42,550-25.5%
Oxnard, California$59,910+4.9%
Paducah, Kentucky$40,790-28.6%
Palm Bay, Florida$42,790-25.1%
Panama City, Florida$35,860-37.2%
Pensacola, Florida$40,280-29.5%
Peoria, Illinois$48,570-15.0%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$52,890-7.4%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$46,630-18.4%
Portland, Oregon$60,030+5.1%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$47,580-16.7%
Reading, Pennsylvania$46,960-17.8%
Richmond, Virginia$49,290-13.7%
Riverside, California$57,890+1.3%
Roanoke, Virginia$45,380-20.6%
Rochester, New York$52,280-8.5%
Rockford, Illinois$44,730-21.7%
Saginaw, Michigan$46,650-18.3%
Salem, Oregon$53,180-6.9%
Salinas, California$59,670+4.4%
Salisbury, Maryland$46,580-18.5%
San Angelo, Texas$36,290-36.5%
San Antonio, Texas$38,020-33.5%
San Diego, California$58,860+3.0%
San Francisco, California$69,190+21.1%
San Jose, California$70,900+24.1%
Santa Cruz, California$57,230+0.2%
Santa Maria, California$60,640+6.1%
Santa Rosa, California$60,120+5.2%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$44,200-22.6%
Seattle, Washington$67,350+17.9%
Sebastian, Florida$46,200-19.1%
Sherman, Texas$37,670-34.1%
South Bend, Indiana$48,550-15.0%
Spokane, Washington$52,800-7.6%
Springfield, Illinois$50,520-11.6%
State College, Pennsylvania$47,400-17.0%
Staunton, Virginia$49,920-12.6%
Stockton, California$58,860+3.0%
Syracuse, New York$58,710+2.8%
Tallahassee, Florida$41,270-27.8%
Tampa, Florida$45,860-19.7%
Terre Haute, Indiana$42,940-24.8%
Texarkana, Texas$31,050-45.7%
Traverse City, Michigan$47,970-16.0%
Trenton, New Jersey$64,320+12.6%
Tyler, Texas$33,710-41.0%
Utica, New York$50,090-12.3%
Vallejo, California$54,270-5.0%
Victoria, Texas$43,100-24.6%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$52,890-7.4%
Visalia, California$56,870-0.5%
Waco, Texas$43,150-24.5%
Walla Walla, Washington$52,610-7.9%
Watertown, New York$50,190-12.1%
Weirton, West Virginia$32,520-43.1%
Wenatchee, Washington$55,880-2.2%
Wheeling, West Virginia$35,250-38.3%
Wichita Falls, Texas$45,710-20.0%
Wildwood, Florida$45,490-20.4%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$50,760-11.2%
Winchester, Virginia$46,050-19.4%
Yakima, Washington$52,420-8.2%
York, Pennsylvania$45,220-20.8%
Yuba City, California$48,010-16.0%
Gross salary
57,130/yr
Estimated take-home
46,464/yr
Est. total withheld
18.7%

Single filer, federal + California state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Bus Drivers, School salaries in California → All Bus Drivers, School salaries →
Community reality check

Community reality check for Sacramento

These notes add local color around Sacramento, California: comfort ranges, budget constraints and location trade-offs reported in public discussions.

Relocation gap2.0× calculator gap
City comparison anecdotal

Discussion highlights that calculators may imply roughly 2x gross income for comparable standard of living, while some employers offer only about 10% location premiums. Tech total compensation can be an exception, so the page should distinguish salary from total compensation.

2.0×calculator multiplier10%HCOL premium cited$200KAtlanta TC example$450KBay Area TC example

Anecdotal public-discussion signals, not official salary data, rent data or financial advice. Read this alongside the official figures on the page.

Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 53-3051 SOC code
Official area Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 40900 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ca_ftb_verificado 2025
Metro also includes
RosevilleFolsom
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: California

Population (metro area)
2,406,563