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Subway & Light Rail Operators vs Bus Drivers, School

Median pay is about $38k higher for Subway & Light Rail Operators. The usual entry education is high school for Subway & Light Rail Operators and high school plus CDL for Bus Drivers, School.

marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.

Subway & Light Rail Operators compared with Bus Drivers, School: pay, outlook, entry and AI exposure
MeasureSubway & Light Rail OperatorsBus Drivers, School
Pay
Median pay$86,380, higher$47,920
Entry pay 25th percentile$61,980, higher$38,650
Experienced pay 75th percentile$90,140, higher$58,430
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Projected growth+3.7% Growing, higher+0.7% Stable
Openings a year90056,500
Getting in
Typical educationHigh schoolHigh school plus CDL
Difficulty modeled2 / 52 / 5
AI
Displacement risk modeledModerateModerate
AI exposure modeled, percentile34th pct75th pct

Where the skills differ

Only Subway & Light Rail Operators

  • Active Learning

Only Bus Drivers, School

  • Writing

Both lean on active listening, speaking, monitoring, reading comprehension, critical thinking.

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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.