2026 Edition · An annual reference on what work pays

Atlanta vs. Houston

Bus Drivers, School. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.

Data released May 2025 BLS OEWS · SOC 53-3051
Fig. 1 — Side by side

Both distributions, one scale

10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
40k60k ATLANTA $47,310 HOUSTON $43,570
Table 1 — Adjusted

Atlanta's median is 7.9% higher — but after local prices, Atlanta still leads by 6.6%.

Atlanta's median $47,310 buys $47,300 at national prices (price parity 100.1); Houston's $43,570 buys $44,200 (98.6).

Table 2 — The figures

Point by point

Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is Houston against Atlanta.

AtlantaHoustonΔ
Employment11,1909,730−13.0%
10th percentile$22,350$26,550+18.8%
25th percentile$29,690$31,140+4.9%
Median$47,310$43,570−7.9%
75th percentile$50,490$49,150−2.7%
90th percentile$62,060$61,280−1.3%
Sources

How this page was made

Wage data
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. Public domain.
Price parity
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Full pages
Bus Drivers, School in Atlanta · Bus Drivers, School in Houston

Percentiles are reported exactly as released. Derived (price-adjusted) figures round to the nearest hundred. We take no payment for how any figure is presented.