VIA bus operators are the highest earning in Texas and among the highest paid in the nation, when normalized for cost of living—an investment in the people who keep San Antonio moving, the agency’s CEO says.
New VIA bus operators out-earned operators from Austin, Dallas, and Houston in Fiscal Year 2022 and are in the top tier among major U.S. cities, with a starting wage of almost $21 and a top rate of over $33.
Although VIA remains the least-funded major transit agency in the state, collecting less than 1 cent of local sales tax to fund operations, with the second-largest service area in Texas, the agency’s CEO believes VIA employees are the best investment it can make.
“We’re proud that our operators are among the best compensated in this state and in the United States, and that VIA prioritizes competitive salaries and benefits in order to attract top talent,” VIA President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said. “Through careful cost savings and conservative spending, we are able to make the smartest investment we can: investing in our employees.”
Competitive wages are also a strategy to attract new hires to VIA, as transportation providers across the country continue to be affected by nationwide labor shortages affecting most service industries, including transit. In addition to the high starting pay, VIA offers incentive bonuses for new hires – currently up to $4,000 for operators and $6,000 for skilled mechanics.
All VIA employees received a 3.5% raise between August and October of this year and will receive a one-time payment of 3.5% of their base salary in December. VIA also announced it will voluntarily hold healthcare premiums at 2022 levels, despite a 14% cost increase, and absorb the additional costs, which equates to an approximate 2% employee pay raise.
Combined with the increase that employees received earlier this year, and the one-time payment later this month, the effective total increase in compensation equates to a 9% increase for 2023. These extraordinary steps are designed to help lessen the stress of inflation on employee households.
“These are investments in our employees and in our community,” Arndt said. “The ROI is clear: employees who feel supported and appreciated mean customers who feel the same way. It’s a compassionate strategy that helps improve the lives of our team members and the quality of service we provide.”
To learn more about working as an operator or mechanic at VIA, visit VIAinfo.net/jobs.
VIA Press Release
OPERATOR PAY COMPARISON AMONG MAJOR US CITIES
When normalized for cost of living, VIA bus operators are the highest paid in Texas and among the highest paid in the nation.
