Where is it easiest to open: Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
24 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 53-3052” (soc) for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 74 | 27.0 | $36,764 | not matched | — |
| NY | 43 | 36.0 | $58,637 | exam | Bus Driver; Certified Examiner - Bus Driver |
| CA | 38 | 23.9 | $45,016 | not matched | — |
| IL | 20 | 30.1 | $40,744 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER (TRUCK AND BUS OPERA |
| FL | 18 | 17.5 | $45,140 | exam | Cardroom Bus Officer/Director/Sharehol |
| OH | 12 | 15.2 | $88,758 | not matched | — |
| GA | 11 | 22.7 | $53,428 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 9 | 35.2 | $93,587 | exam | BUS DRIVER |
| AZ | 9 | 114.7 | $63,711 | not matched | — |
| NC | 8 | 49.9 | $38,662 | licence | Regular Route Passenger Operations By |
| PA | 7 | 105.3 | $27,589 | not matched | — |
| MA | 6 | 28.5 | $53,924 | exam | BUS DRIVER |
| OR | 6 | 4.7 | $50,143 | licence | School Bus Driver Certificate; Special Pupil Activity Bus (SPAB) Driv |
| NV | 6 | 16.7 | $43,350 | not matched | — |
| VA | 4 | 56.5 | $36,588 | not matched | — |
| DC | 4 | 6.5 | $53,808 | not matched | — |
| NH | 4 | 23.5 | $57,606 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| MN | 3 | 29.0 | $56,322 | licence | Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Scho |
| MD | 3 | 28.0 | $48,083 | licence | BUS DRIVER, SCHOOL; BUS DRIVER, TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| RI | 3 | 24.0 | $60,847 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| TN | 3 | 11.0 | $51,515 | not matched | — |
| CT | 3 | 70.3 | $41,905 | not matched | — |
| UT | 3 | 38.0 | $29,132 | licence | DRIVER - TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| CO | 3 | 10.7 | $48,906 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.