Prevailing Wage for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity
Prevailing wages for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity (SOC 53-3052) are set by DOL and vary significantly depending on the worksite city and the candidate's experience level. Whether the position is titled Bus Driver, Bus Operator, or Motor Coach Driver, DOL defines four wage levels, and the floor in a high-cost metro can be nearly double what a lower-cost region requires.
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Level 1 covers entry-level bus drivers with limited route or charter experience, typically performing routine assignments under direct supervision. Candidates filing at this level generally have less than one year of relevant commercial driving experience and minimal independent judgment responsibilities.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity. It applies to qualified drivers who independently handle regular route or charter operations with some years of experience, standard schedule variation, and occasional passenger assistance duties without close daily supervision.
Level 3 applies to experienced drivers who take on more complex assignments, handle irregular or high-demand routes, and may informally mentor newer operators. These candidates bring several years of transit or intercity coaching experience and exercise consistent independent judgment on the road.
Level 4 represents fully competent senior drivers or lead operators with extensive experience across multiple route types, charters, or intercity services. These professionals often serve as subject-matter references for scheduling, safety, or passenger management, and operate with full autonomy.
Prevailing Wage for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity
Confirm your commercial license tier matches the level
Transit and intercity bus employers filing LCAs frequently use DOL Level 2 for candidates holding a valid CDL-B or CDL-A with passenger endorsement. If your license class is lower than the employer requires, the sponsor may file at Level 1, which carries a lower wage floor.
Watch the wage gap between Puerto Rico and Pacific metros
The prevailing wage for this SOC varies more by geography than almost any comparable transportation role. Metros like Seattle and San Francisco set floors roughly double those in Puerto Rico markets, so compare your specific worksite city before evaluating whether an offer is competitive.
Flag offers that bundle signing bonuses into the wage
Some transit employers present total compensation that includes a one-time signing bonus. DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against the regular rate of pay on the LCA, not total first-year cash. A signing bonus does not count toward satisfying the wage floor for sponsored positions.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with transit sponsorship history
Bus and coach operator roles generate fewer sponsored positions than white-collar SOCs. Migrate Mate shows which transit agencies and private motor coach companies have sponsored Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity before, so you can focus applications on employers with a demonstrated record.
Jobs for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 53-3052.00 alongside Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
Bus Driver positions fall under SOC 53-3052.00 (Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Bus Operator Prevailing Wage
Bus Operator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Bus Operator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-3052.00 (Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Charter Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
Charter Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
Charter Bus Driver is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-3052.00 (Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Coach Operator Prevailing Wage
Coach Operator Prevailing Wage
Coach Operator positions fall under SOC 53-3052.00 (Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Motor Coach Driver Prevailing Wage
Motor Coach Driver Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Motor Coach Driver for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-3052.00 (Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Motor Coach Operator Prevailing Wage
Motor Coach Operator Prevailing Wage
Motor Coach Operator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-3052.00 (Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Transit Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
Transit Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
Transit Bus Driver positions fall under SOC 53-3052.00 (Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Transit Coach Operator Prevailing Wage
Transit Coach Operator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Transit Coach Operator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-3052.00 (Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Transit Driver Prevailing Wage
Transit Driver Prevailing Wage
Transit Driver is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-3052.00 (Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Transit Operator Prevailing Wage
Transit Operator Prevailing Wage
Transit Operator positions fall under SOC 53-3052.00 (Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity?
DOL calculates prevailing wages for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. OFLC publishes the resulting four-level wage tables annually. Employers sponsoring a visa for this occupation must pay at least the wage level that matches the position's experience and supervision requirements at the specific worksite location listed on the Labor Condition Application.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL defines Level 1 as entry with close supervision, Level 2 as qualified with routine independence, Level 3 as experienced with complex assignments, and Level 4 as fully competent with broad autonomy. The employer selects the level when filing the LCA based on the actual job duties, not the candidate's resume. You can check which level an employer filed by searching OFLC's public LCA disclosure data using the OFLC Wage Search tool and filtering by employer name and occupation.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same bus driver role differ so much city to city?
OFLC assigns wages based on regional OES surveys, which capture local labor market conditions. A transit agency in Seattle operates in a high-cost, unionized labor market where surveyed wages are substantially higher than in rural or lower-cost regions. The LCA requires the employer to list the actual worksite address, and the prevailing wage obligation attaches to that location, not the company's headquarters. Dense urban transit markets with strong union contracts drive the highest regional floors for this SOC.
What happens if an employer offers a salary below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An LCA cannot be certified if the offered wage falls below the applicable DOL prevailing wage or the employer's actual wage for similarly employed workers, whichever is higher. If the offer is below the floor, the employer must either raise the salary before filing or the LCA will be denied. For green card PERM cases, USCIS will also reject a petition where the offered wage does not meet the prevailing wage determination on file. There is no waiver for this requirement.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Bus Driver or Motor Coach Operator position in a specific U.S. city?
The most direct method is the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up wages by SOC code 53-3052 and select the metropolitan area matching your worksite. BLS also publishes Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics by metro. For sponsored job searches, Migrate Mate lists transit and coach operator roles from employers with confirmed sponsorship history, which helps you identify which companies are actively hiring for this occupation before you negotiate on wages.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity right now.
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