School Bus Driver: Pay & Requirements

Overview

Sourced

Drive a school bus to transport students. Ensure adherence to safety rules. May assist students in boarding or exiting.

O*NET definition of Bus Drivers, School (SOC 53-3051) · Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed.

240,010

in government (SOC 53-3051)

60%

of this occupation works for government

$46,500

median pay in government

Local

levels of government

Titles employers use

Public School Bus DriverSchool Bus DriverSPED Bus Driver (Special Education Bus Driver)Student DriverBus Drive CoordinatorBus Driver Route CoordinatorCDL Bus Driver (Commercial Driver's License Bus Driver)School Van DriverShuttle Bus DriverSPED School Bus Driver (Special Education School Bus Driver)

How people usually get in Editorial

CDL-B with P+S endorsements. Requirements vary by employer; each employer page will list its exact rules.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership; U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database; GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Requirements

Sourced

Typical entry requirements (BLS, SOC 53-3051)

Education needed to enter: High school diploma or equivalent
Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training

Education workers say the job requires

Less than a High School Diploma

37%

High School Diploma or the equivalent

59%

Post-Secondary Certificate

Share of surveyed workers in Bus Drivers, School (SOC 53-3051) naming each level as required to be hired, 20 respondents, O*NET survey August 2025. Each employer sets its own minimum.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4); U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

How to get hired

Sourced

Bus drivers must have a commercial driver's license (CDL), which they sometimes earn during on-the-job training. They also need a good driving record and must meet physical, hearing, and vision requirements. In addition, bus drivers typically need a high school diploma or the equivalent and may be required to pass a background check.

From the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile “Bus Drivers”, published August 27, 2026 · Read the full profile. National guidance; each employer runs its own hiring process.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–35 edition (XML compilation). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Academy and training

Sourced

Training to become competent (BLS)

SOC 53-3051: Short-term on-the-job training

Preparation level (O*NET)

Job zone: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Academy length, curriculum and paid-training policies are set by each employer and state; they are part of the employer collection stage.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Promotion ladder

Editorial

Seniority steps: single title × seniority steps; growth via steps, overtime, bidding (bus operator, sanitation, dispatcher). Typical structure for a single title with seniority steps; titles, steps and timing differ by employer.

Trainee / probationary
Steps to top rate
Lead / trainer
Supervisor
Manager

Source: GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial).

Pay

Sourced

Federal

Not published

State

$49,440

Local

$46,480

All government

$46,500

Private sector

$49,480

Median annual wage by employer type, national, May 2025. Federal includes the U.S. Postal Service; state and local include public schools and hospitals.

Employer type	Workers	10th pct.	25th	Median	75th	90th
State	1,470	$34,230	$39,360	$49,440	$52,790	$54,470
Local	238,540	$23,690	$36,360	$46,480	$56,330	$64,110
All government	240,010	$23,720	$36,390	$46,500	$56,210	$64,100
Private sector	162,920	$37,430	$45,910	$49,480	$60,240	$67,260

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Schedule

Sourced

Work schedule

Regular

74%

Irregular

13%

Seasonal

14%

Typical work week

Less than 40 hours

76%

40 hours

More than 40 hours

20%

Share of surveyed workers in the occupation (O*NET work context, August 2026). Shift patterns and differentials depend on the employer.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Day-to-day work

Sourced

Comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and courteous manner.5.0
Follow safety rules as students board and exit buses or cross streets near bus stops.4.9
Check the condition of a vehicle's tires, brakes, windshield wipers, lights, oil, fuel, water, and safety equipment to ensure that everything is in working order.4.9
Report any bus malfunctions or needed repairs.4.9
Pick up and drop off students at regularly scheduled neighborhood locations, following strict time schedules.4.8
Escort small children across roads and highways.4.8
Drive gasoline, diesel, or electrically powered multi-passenger vehicles to transport students between neighborhoods, schools, and school activities.4.7
Maintain order among students during trips to ensure safety.4.6
Maintain knowledge of first-aid procedures.4.5
Prepare and submit reports that may include the number of students or trips, hours worked, mileage, or fuel consumption.4.5

The 10 most important of 16 core tasks for Bus Drivers, School, ranked by importance (1–5) in the O*NET survey of August 2026.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

13Derived

Exams by name

Sourced

Exam	Administered by	Used in	Type	Official page
CDL Passenger (P) Endorsement Tests Knowledge and skills tests; Entry-Level Driver Training required when obtaining the endorsement for the first time.	State driver licensing agencies under FMCSA federal standards	US	licensing	Official page
CDL School Bus (S) Endorsement Tests Knowledge and skills tests; Entry-Level Driver Training required when obtaining the endorsement for the first time.	State driver licensing agencies under FMCSA federal standards	US	licensing	Official page
Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Knowledge and Skills Tests State-administered knowledge and skills tests for the class of vehicle (A, B or C); first-time Class A/B applicants must complete Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test.	State driver licensing agencies under FMCSA federal standards	US	licensing	Official page

Each exam is checked against its administrator's official page. Employers choose which exam they use; confirm with the hiring agency.

Source: Exam administrators and hiring authorities (per record), Official exam administrator pages. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Employer directory

Sourced

13,321 school districts in the registry. Regular public school districts in the NCES Common Core of Data (charter-only districts are not included). The 10 largest by teachers (fte):

Employer	Location	Teachers (FTE)	Website
Chicago Public Schools Dist 299	Chicago, IL	23,532	Official site
Los Angeles Unified	Los Angeles, CA	21,246	Official site
MIAMI-DADE	Miami, FL	17,139	Official site
Clark County	Las Vegas, NV	16,446	Official site
Fairfax County Public Schools	Falls Church, VA	13,501	Official site
Gwinnett County	Lawrenceville, GA	12,796	—
Hawaii Department of Education	Honolulu, HI	12,215	Official site
Montgomery County Public Schools	Rockville, MD	11,574	Official site
PALM BEACH	West Palm Beach, FL	11,548	Official site
ORANGE	Orlando, FL	11,416	Official site

Full lists by state:

Texas · 1,022 California · 988 Illinois · 855 New York · 717 Ohio · 619 New Jersey · 560 Michigan · 536 Missouri · 518 Oklahoma · 507 Pennsylvania · 500 Wisconsin · 420 Montana · 392

As reported by each employer to its federal registry.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2024–25 local education agency universe (directory and staff). Data captured September 30, 2026.

By state

Sourced

Median annual wage for Bus Drivers, School (SOC 53-3051) in each state, all employers (BLS state estimates do not separate government from private). Highest first.

State	Workers	10th pct.	Median	90th pct.
Massachusetts	9,330	$44,530	$65,170	$71,980
Washington	9,660	$49,670	$63,370	$75,530
Connecticut	7,970	$45,830	$61,520	$65,090
California	16,600	$45,870	$61,040	$73,680
New Jersey	13,670	$46,640	$59,430	$71,520
Hawaii	630	$45,760	$59,090	$73,970
Rhode Island	1,800	$47,780	$58,700	$67,180
New York	38,320	$46,270	$56,640	$76,070
Vermont	860	$39,840	$56,580	$61,970
Maryland	9,020	$38,280	$56,450	$63,950
District of Columbia	510	$51,850	$55,450	$55,480
Alaska	790	$36,470	$54,200	$59,910
Utah	1,920	$37,010	$52,890	$69,110
Colorado	3,840	$40,640	$52,620	$70,540
Oregon	5,210	$45,830	$51,270	$67,260
New Hampshire	2,040	$36,030	$50,990	$60,650
North Dakota	1,530	$43,780	$50,790	$81,220
Virginia	12,930	$38,830	$50,190	$67,060
Illinois	21,230	$38,310	$49,090	$62,560
Minnesota	13,110	$36,580	$48,940	$62,170
Maine	1,670	$39,050	$48,640	$58,590
Indiana	11,780	$22,900	$48,020	$65,240
Nebraska	2,330	$36,800	$47,760	$58,340
Wisconsin	7,840	$38,930	$47,760	$62,780
Pennsylvania	23,670	$34,950	$47,530	$60,660
Missouri	8,970	$33,980	$46,880	$58,730
Michigan	8,780	$37,860	$46,380	$54,500
Iowa	4,840	$28,440	$46,320	$63,200
Idaho	2,960	$36,380	$46,250	$56,410
Montana	1,630	$36,120	$46,220	$57,870
Arizona	5,020	$37,370	$46,050	$52,870
Kansas	4,830	$33,570	$45,860	$55,810
Ohio	5,540	$30,100	$45,860	$60,070
Wyoming	1,360	$38,830	$45,520	$56,130
Arkansas	4,340	$24,080	$45,500	$63,300
New Mexico	1,870	$31,020	$45,470	$65,140
Georgia	16,880	$20,740	$44,950	$62,060
Kentucky	6,820	$36,760	$44,830	$63,470
Florida	13,470	$35,510	$44,690	$54,840
Tennessee	7,050	$22,900	$44,510	$61,600
Texas	37,550	$23,690	$44,490	$60,740
Delaware	1,350	$36,380	$42,390	$60,910
South Carolina	5,900	$23,640	$39,900	$57,150
South Dakota	1,290	$33,480	$39,730	$50,530
North Carolina	12,390	$32,270	$37,460	$46,960
Nevada	2,590	$37,280	$37,280	$50,310
Oklahoma	3,710	$20,850	$36,920	$48,110
West Virginia	4,690	$29,610	$33,360	$36,670
Mississippi	3,790	$18,680	$30,640	$47,300
Louisiana	6,670	$21,000	$29,450	$50,750
Alabama	10,410	$16,560	$17,630	$21,580

51 states with published estimates.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Not yet collected

These dimensions are part of every job page. We publish them only once they are sourced from official documents such as job postings, pay plans, union contracts and state standards.

05 Probation
Probation length and what ends it
Not yet collected
09 Benefits and pension
Pension plan/tier and formula, retirement age/years, DROP, retiree health, Social Security coverage, 457(b), PSLF eligibility
Not yet collected
10 Union contracts
Bargaining unit, union, current CBA (source link, effective dates)
Not yet collected
11 Transfers and lateral entry
Lateral policy, certification reciprocity, lateral bonus, inter-agency moves
Not yet collected

School Bus Driver

Overview

Titles employers use

Requirements

Education workers say the job requires

How to get hired

Academy and training

Promotion ladder

Pay

Schedule

Day-to-day work

Related jobs

Exams by name

Employer directory

By state

Not yet collected