Where is it easiest to open: All Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 316 | 12.7 | $49,898 | not matched | — |
| FL | 253 | 8.4 | $46,158 | exam | Cardroom Bus Officer/Director/Sharehol |
| NY | 193 | 4.1 | $35,205 | exam | Bus Driver; Certified Examiner - Bus Driver |
| IL | 130 | 6.2 | $36,440 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER (TRUCK AND BUS OPERA |
| MA | 90 | 11.5 | $35,449 | exam | BUS DRIVER |
| TX | 70 | 13.3 | $39,237 | not matched | — |
| MD | 57 | 10.2 | $52,341 | licence | BUS DRIVER, SCHOOL; BUS DRIVER, TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| PA | 53 | 6.9 | $31,275 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 52 | 29.1 | $39,722 | exam | BUS DRIVER |
| AZ | 46 | 17.1 | $39,994 | not matched | — |
| MI | 45 | 10.7 | $89,166 | exam | Chauffeur License |
| CO | 43 | 24.9 | $42,999 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| GA | 36 | 5.3 | $30,073 | not matched | — |
| VA | 35 | 10.2 | $57,014 | not matched | — |
| OH | 27 | 11.9 | $29,034 | not matched | — |
| WA | 26 | 27.1 | $55,145 | not matched | — |
| NV | 21 | 6.5 | $41,401 | not matched | — |
| MO | 20 | 15.0 | $42,060 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| SC | 18 | 3.3 | $38,883 | not matched | — |
| HI | 17 | 20.9 | $29,632 | not matched | — |
| UT | 15 | 11.7 | $21,500 | licence | DRIVER - TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| MN | 14 | 11.6 | $27,503 | licence | Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Scho |
| IN | 14 | 11.4 | $30,481 | not matched | — |
| CT | 13 | 21.7 | $23,252 | not matched | — |
| DE | 12 | 9.8 | $38,229 | exam | School Supervisor of School Bus Transp |
| OR | 12 | 16.8 | $34,267 | licence | School Bus Driver Certificate; Special Pupil Activity Bus (SPAB) Driv |
| TN | 11 | 32.7 | $51,386 | not matched | — |
| RI | 10 | 2.6 | $25,192 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| LA | 9 | 17.7 | $41,629 | not matched | — |
| NC | 9 | 11.6 | $27,288 | licence | Regular Route Passenger Operations By |
| NM | 8 | 8.9 | $30,408 | not matched | — |
| NH | 7 | 4.7 | $34,848 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| AL | 7 | 2.1 | $35,533 | exam | CDL Class B |
| NE | 5 | 2.8 | $44,643 | not matched | — |
| ID | 4 | 4.2 | $40,176 | not matched | — |
| DC | 4 | 3.8 | $21,000 | not matched | — |
| WI | 4 | 5.2 | $27,286 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER |
| IA | 3 | 3.3 | $22,400 | exam | Bus Driver |
| AK | 3 | 1.3 | $32,750 | licence | Bus Driver, School |
| OK | 3 | 2.7 | $60,375 | not matched | — |
| MS | 3 | 6.7 | $30,150 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| ME | 3 | 3.7 | $17,182 | not matched | — |
| KS | 3 | 11.7 | $37,514 | 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.