Bus driver: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Bus and coach drivers (SOC 8212)
About £29,791 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +0.4% on last year
£3,041 a month About £2,483 a month after tax 63 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £25,141 in 2021 to £36,488 in 2026 (+45%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £19,376 | £22,180 | £25,141 | £30,000 | £34,727 |
| 2022 | £21,046 | £23,980 | £28,330 | £33,311 | x |
| 2023 | x | £26,383 | £31,500 | £39,692 | x |
| 2024 | £25,331 | £28,683 | £34,649 | £42,562 | x |
| 2025 | £26,334 | £30,839 | £36,347 | £43,968 | x |
| 2026 | £26,725 | £30,965 | £36,488 | £44,853 | £50,995 |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £36,488 a year and half earn more. That is 11% less than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £30,965 and £44,853; the middle 80% between £26,725 and £50,995.
Ranked by median, it is number 189 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £2,483 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £2,480 in Scotland.
The median for men is £36,608 and for women £34,064, a gap of 7% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £26,725 | £2,227 |
| 20th | £30,096 | £2,508 |
| 25th (P25) | £30,965 | £2,580 |
| 30th | £31,801 | £2,650 |
| 40th | £34,033 | £2,836 |
| Median (50th) | £36,488 | £3,041 |
| 60th | £38,768 | £3,231 |
| 70th | £42,185 | £3,515 |
| 75th (P75) | £44,853 | £3,738 |
| 80th | £46,676 | £3,890 |
| 90th (P90) | £50,995 | £4,250 |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £36,608 | £37,762 | 57 |
| Women | £34,064 | £34,835 | 6 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £29,791 | £2,483 |
| Scotland | £29,761 | £2,480 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £36,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 18 job titles to SOC 8212 Bus and coach drivers. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Bus driver
- Bus operator
- Bus shunter
- Busman
- Coach driver
- Coach operator
- Driver
- Driver-conductor
- Driver-fitter
- Driver-mechanic
- Mini bus driver
- Minibus driver
- One person operator
- Passenger carrying vehicle driver
- Pcv driver
- Psv driver
- Public service vehicle driver
- Shunter
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Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.