Drive a school bus to transport students. Ensure adherence to safety rules. May assist students in boarding or exiting.
National median · BLS
$47,920
▲ +1.87%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$48,430
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
402,930
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Bus Drivers, School
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$29,240
25th
$38,650
Median (50th)
$47,920
75th
$58,430
90th — top pay
$65,730
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Bus Drivers, School
BLS projects employment of bus drivers, school to grow 0.7% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 56,500 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
396,800 → 399,700
+2,900 jobs
Projected change
+0.7%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
56,500
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
0.1% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Bus Drivers, School salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Skills & tools
Skills needed for Bus Drivers, School
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Active Listening3.4
Critical Thinking3.4
Monitoring3.4
Social Perceptiveness3.3
Operations Monitoring3.1
Speaking3.1
Coordination3.0
Reading Comprehension3.0
Service Orientation3.0
Judgment and Decision Making2.9
Top knowledge areas
Transportation4.5
Public Safety and Security4.0
Customer and Personal Service3.9
English Language3.7
Mechanical3.2
Law and Government3.1
Geography3.0
Personnel and Human Resources2.7
Software and technology used
Microsoft WindowsAOL MapQuestWeb browser software
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What bus drivers, school do
Comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and courteous manner.
Follow safety rules as students board and exit buses or cross streets near bus stops.
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.
Report any bus malfunctions or needed repairs.
Pick up and drop off students at regularly scheduled neighborhood locations, following strict time schedules.
Escort small children across roads and highways.
Drive gasoline, diesel, or electrically powered multi-passenger vehicles to transport students between neighborhoods, schools, and school activities.
Maintain order among students during trips to ensure safety.
Also called
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)
More job titles for this occupation (5)
Campus DriverCDL School Bus Driver (Commercial Driver's License School Bus Driver)School Bus OperatorSPED Driver (Special Education Driver)Substitute Bus Driver
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Bus Drivers, School, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $47,920.
