UK Bus Driver Salary 2026/27: Pay, Driver CPC & Take-Home
UK bus driver pay 2026/27: ONS median £36,340, PCV licence and Driver CPC tests, drivers' hours rules and take-home after tax.
UK bus driver pay: what the survey shows
The Office for National Statistics classifies the role under SOC 2020 code 8212 ("Bus and coach drivers"). In the ASHE 2025 provisional release its median full-time gross pay is £36,340, with a 25th percentile of £30,889, a 75th percentile of £43,855 and a 10th percentile of £26,337. ONS suppressed the 90th percentile for this group.
Pay is set by each operator, often depot by depot, and we could not find a readable primary source for individual operators' rates, London or regional. This page therefore uses the ONS percentiles rather than operator ranges.
| ASHE point | Gross | Income Tax | Employee NI | Annual take-home | Marginal rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £26,337 | £2,753 | £1,101 | £22,482 | 20% Income Tax + 8% NI |
| 25th percentile | £30,889 | £3,664 | £1,466 | £25,760 | 20% Income Tax + 8% NI |
| Median | £36,340 | £4,754 | £1,902 | £29,684 | 20% Income Tax + 8% NI |
| 75th percentile | £43,855 | £6,257 | £2,503 | £35,095 | 20% Income Tax + 8% NI |
| Median, Scottish taxpayer | £36,340 | £4,782 | £1,902 | £29,656 | 21% Income Tax + 8% NI |
Source: ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, Table 14.7a Annual pay - Gross, Full-Time. Take-home from our salary engine, 2026/27 bands, before pension contributions. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
Every England row sits below the higher-rate threshold of £50,270, so each extra pound of overtime or shift premium keeps 72p in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A Scottish taxpayer pays the 21% intermediate rate on income above £29,526 in 2026/27; at the median a Scottish taxpayer pays £28 more Income Tax than a taxpayer elsewhere in the UK.
PCV licence and Driver CPC
DVSA sets the route: have a full car licence, be over 18 (there are some exceptions), apply for a provisional bus licence, then pass the 5 tests that make up the full Driver Certificate of Professional Competence. You must hold the full Driver CPC if driving a bus or coach is the main part of your job.
- Part 1 theory: 100 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour 55 minutes, plus a hazard perception test.
- Part 2 case studies: 7 case studies on a computer, 1 hour 15 minutes, pass mark 40 out of 50.
- Part 3a off-road exercises and part 3b on-road driving.
- Part 4 practical demonstration: 5 topics, including a walkaround vehicle safety check, scored out of 20 each; you need at least 15 in each and 80 out of 100 overall. It must be passed within 2 years of part 2.
| DVSA test | Weekday | Evening, weekend, bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 theory (multiple choice) | £26 | £26 |
| Part 1 theory (hazard perception) | £11 | £11 |
| Part 2 case studies | £23 | £23 |
| Part 3a off-road exercises | £40 | £40 |
| Part 3b on-road driving | £115 | £141 |
| Part 4 practical demonstration | £55 | £63 |
| All five tests | £270 | £304 |
DVSA test fees only, from gov.uk; training provider fees are separate and vary. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
Staying qualified
After qualifying you must do 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years. Up to 12 hours can be e-learning. International Driver CPC courses last at least 7 hours; National courses at least 3 hours 30 minutes, and including any National course gives you a National Driver CPC valid for the UK only. Driving professionally without Driver CPC can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.
The licence itself is renewed every 5 years, and every year from 65. DVLA's INF4D notes say a D4 medical examination report is needed on the first Group 2 application, when renewing at 45, then every 5 years until 65, and every year after that. Renewing is free; the doctor will normally charge for the D4.
Drivers' hours: GB domestic and assimilated rules
Which rules apply depends on the service. On gov.uk's table for public service vehicles, a regular service on a route not exceeding 50km follows GB domestic rules whatever the number of seats. Longer regular services and non-regular work such as tours and private hire follow the assimilated rules (formerly called EU rules) or AETR rules in vehicles with 9 or more passenger seats.
- GB domestic rules: no more than 10 hours driving in a working day; no more than 16 hours between starting and finishing work (the spreadover); a break of at least 30 minutes after 5 hours 30 minutes of driving (with an alternative pattern for working days of 8 hours 30 minutes or more); at least 10 hours rest between working days, reducible to 8.5 hours up to 3 times a week; and at least one 24-hour period off duty every 2 weeks.
- Assimilated rules: no more than 9 hours driving a day, extendable to 10 hours twice a week; 56 hours a week; 90 hours in any 2 consecutive weeks; breaks totalling at least 45 minutes after no more than 4 hours 30 minutes of driving; at least 11 hours daily rest, reducible to 9 hours 3 times between weekly rests; and a 45-hour weekly rest, reducible to 24 hours every other week. Driving must be recorded on a tachograph.
- Records: employers must keep drivers' hours records for at least one year.
Separate working time rules for buses and coaches also apply. Source: gov.uk drivers' hours, retrieved 2026-09-30.
Workplace pension
Under automatic enrolment an employer must enrol workers aged between 22 and State Pension age who earn at least £10,000 a year. The minimum total contribution is 8% of qualifying earnings, the band between £6,240 and £50,270 in 2026/27, of which at least 3% comes from the employer and the rest from the worker (including tax relief).
At the median of £36,340, qualifying earnings are £30,100, so the minimum is £2,408 a year in total, £903 of it from the employer. Employers can pay more than the minimum; your scheme documents show what yours pays and whether contributions are taken by salary sacrifice (which also saves NI) or from pay before tax.
Pension contribution calculator to model the net cost of a contribution, or the salary-sacrifice calculator for the NI saving.
Comparison with other roles
- vs large goods vehicle driver: ASHE 2025 provisional median £39,905, against £36,340 for bus and coach drivers.
- vs train and tram driver: ASHE median £76,327.
- vs care worker: ASHE median for care workers and home carers £27,468.
- vs police constable: pay point 5 of the England and Wales constable scale is £37,737 (pending the 3.5% determination). The Home Office puts the employer contribution to the Police Pension Scheme 2015 at 35.3% of pensionable pay (PRRB Report 2026, para 3.147).
- vs Civil Service AA / AO: median £28,020 at 31 March 2026 (Cabinet Office - Civil Service Statistics 2026, Table 25).
- vs teacher (England): M1 is £34,069 outside London and £41,729 in Inner London (the STRB's 36th Report, Appendix F, accepted in full, from 1 September 2026).
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- UK teacher pay (STPCD) - M1 to UPS3 progression.
- Salary-sacrifice calculator - pension contribution NI saving.
Related professions
Frequently asked questions
How much does a UK bus driver earn in 2026/27?
ONS ASHE 2025 provisional puts the median full-time gross pay of bus and coach drivers at £36,340. A quarter earn less than £30,889 and a quarter more than £43,855; the 10th percentile is £26,337. ONS suppressed the 90th percentile. Pay varies by operator and depot agreement, and we have not found a readable published source for individual operators' rates.
What do I need to drive a bus professionally in the UK?
DVSA says you need a full car licence, must be over 18 (with some exceptions), and need the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) if driving a bus or coach is the main part of your job. You apply for a provisional bus licence and pass the 5 tests that make up the full Driver CPC: part 1 theory (multiple choice and hazard perception), part 2 case studies, part 3a off-road exercises, part 3b on-road driving and part 4 practical demonstration.
What is the Driver CPC initial qualification?
For a new driver the initial qualification is the set of Driver CPC tests, of which the part 2 case studies test and the part 4 practical demonstration test are the CPC-specific ones. The part 2 test has 7 case studies on a computer, lasts 1 hour 15 minutes and has a pass mark of 40 out of 50. You must pass part 4 within 2 years of part 2. The 35 hours of training every 5 years is the periodic requirement that applies once you are qualified.
How often does a bus driver need Driver CPC training?
Every 5 years you must complete 35 hours of periodic training to keep your Driver CPC. Up to 12 hours can be e-learning. International Driver CPC courses last at least 7 hours and National Driver CPC courses at least 3 hours 30 minutes; a National course restricts you to driving professionally in the UK only. Driving professionally without Driver CPC can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.
How often do I renew a bus licence and need a medical?
gov.uk says you need to renew a bus or HGV licence every 5 years, and every year once you reach 65. DVLA's INF4D notes say a D4 medical examination report is needed on your first Group 2 application, when renewing at 45, and then every 5 years until 65, after which one is needed every year.
What drivers' hours rules apply to bus drivers?
On a regular service with a route of 50km or less, GB domestic rules apply: no more than 10 hours driving in a working day, no more than 16 hours between starting and finishing work, a break of at least 30 minutes after 5 hours 30 minutes of driving, and at least 10 hours rest between working days, reducible to 8.5 hours up to 3 times a week. Longer routes and tours in vehicles with 9 or more passenger seats usually follow the assimilated (formerly EU) rules instead.
What pension do bus drivers get?
Under auto-enrolment an employer must enrol workers aged 22 to State Pension age earning at least £10,000 a year into a workplace pension. The minimum is 8% of qualifying earnings (between £6,240 and £50,270 in 2026/27), with at least 3% from the employer. At the median of £36,340 that is £2,408 a year in total. Employers can pay more than the minimum; check your own scheme.
How much of a pay rise or overtime does a bus driver keep?
At the median of £36,340 the next pound is taxed at 20% Income Tax + 8% NI, so a driver keeps 72p. The 75th percentile of £43,855 is still below the higher-rate threshold, so the rate there is also 20% Income Tax + 8% NI. Overtime and shift premiums are ordinary PAYE earnings.