Special Needs Transportation — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the special needs transportation industry earns $41,880 per year ($20.13/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Special Needs Transportation Workers Earn?
At $41,880/year (equivalent to $20.13/hour for a full-time worker), special needs transportation wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.
Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.
The typical special needs transportation business employs 17 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average special needs transportation business generating $1.6M/year with 17 employees at $41,880 each, total payroll represents roughly 43.9% of revenue. Labor is a significant cost but leaves room for other expenses and profit.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a special needs transportationbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $54,444/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 17 employees = ~$711,960/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $20.13/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $1.6M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Special Needs Transportation revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do special needs transportation employees make?
- The average special needs transportation employee earns $41,880 per year, which is equivalent to $20.13/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the special needs transportation industry?
- The special needs transportation industry employs 68,757 workers across 4,122 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 17 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).