Answers · UK 2025/26

What is a bus driver's salary and take-home pay in the UK?

UK bus drivers typically earn around £26,000 to £32,000 a year depending on operator and location. On a representative £29,000 salary in 2026/27, take-home pay after Income Tax (£3,286) and National Insurance (£1,314.40) is £24,399.60 a year, or about £2,033.30 a month.

Last updated: 3 July 2026Last reviewed: 3 July 2026How we verify

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Bus driver salaries in the UK vary by operator, region and length of service, with London Transport for London (TfL) contracted routes and some regional operators paying toward the higher end, commonly £28,000 to £34,000, while some regional and rural routes pay closer to £24,000 to £28,000. Taking a representative salary of £29,000 for 2026/27: taxable income after the £12,570 Personal Allowance is £16,430, taxed entirely at the 20% basic rate, giving £3,286 Income Tax. National Insurance is 8% of £16,430, which is £1,314.40. Combined deductions of £4,600.40 leave £24,399.60 take-home a year, around £2,033.30 a month. Many bus drivers work shift patterns that include early mornings, late evenings and weekends, often attracting shift allowances or unsocial hours pay that is added to gross salary and taxed in the normal way -- these enhancements can meaningfully increase take-home pay above the base salary figure. Bus drivers also require a Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) licence and periodic Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) training; where an employer pays for this mandatory training and licensing directly related to the job, it is not generally treated as a taxable benefit in kind.