Bus Driver Salary in South East
Official ONS earnings for South East, covering 12,000 jobs.
Median salary — South East
£34,023
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 14.6% change on the previous year
Mean
£32,037
Jobs measured
12,000
What a typical bus driver takes home
On the median of £34,023, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,335
Take-home a year
£28,016
Income Tax
£4,291
National Insurance
£1,716
What most bus drivers actually earn
Half of bus drivers in South East earn between £23,904 and £41,404. Earning above £41,404 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Road Transport Drivers” group in South East.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of bus drivers earn less than this.
How South East ranks for bus driver pay
2nd
of 8 GB regions with a published figure
London tops the table on £44,375 and Yorkshire and The Humber sits at the bottom on £30,256. South East is £10,352 short of the top.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Bus and coach drivers
- SOC 2020 code
- 8212
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Bus Driver salary FAQs
What is the average Bus Driver salary in South East?
The median is £34,023 a year and the mean is £32,037, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a bus driver earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £16.21 excluding overtime, or £16.43 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for South East.
What is a good Bus Driver salary?
Half of bus drivers earn between £23,904 and £41,404. Anything above £41,404 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a bus driver?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of bus drivers earn under £11,395 and the lowest quarter under £23,904 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
How much do the highest-paid bus drivers earn?
The top 10% of bus drivers earn more than £51,023 a year, and the top quarter more than £41,404. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do bus drivers in South East earn more than the UK average?
The median in South East is £34,023 against £33,947 across the UK, 0.2% higher, which places it 2nd highest of the 8 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has bus driver pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +14.6% for this occupation in South East. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many bus drivers are there in South East?
ASHE counts around 12,000 employee jobs in “Bus and coach drivers” (SOC 8212) in South East. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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