SOC 53-3051.00

    Bus Drivers, School

    Drive a school bus to transport students.

    Median pay
    $47,920
    Growth
    +0.7%
    Little or no change
    Openings a year
    56,500
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $29,240
    Median
    $47,920
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $65,730
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    402,930 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    School bus drivers transport students safely to and from school and related activities. The career offers a median annual pay of $47,920, with opportunities available in school districts and transportation companies across the country.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What bus drivers, school do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

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

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    What the work is like

    School bus drivers spend their days operating large vehicles to transport students. This work is highly realistic and requires a strong focus on public safety and security. Drivers must constantly monitor their surroundings, identify potential hazards, and make quick decisions to keep passengers safe. Before and after trips, they inspect their buses to ensure all equipment and mechanical systems are functioning properly.

    Beyond driving, the job involves significant interaction with children, school staff, and parents. Drivers must assist and care for others, which sometimes includes helping students board or exit the vehicle. Success in this role requires strong skills in active listening, social perceptiveness, and coordination. Drivers must maintain self-control, empathy, and stress tolerance while managing student behavior and adhering to strict transportation schedules. They also document trip details and communicate regularly with school supervisors.

    How to get there

    Entering this career typically requires a high school diploma. Because the job involves some preparation, new drivers usually undergo on-the-job training to learn specific routes, safety protocols, and vehicle operations. Relevant college majors that align with this field include ground transportation.

    Depending on the location, some states list specific licensing requirements for operating a school bus. Additionally, drivers can pursue professional credentials to demonstrate their expertise. The National Association for Pupil Transportation offers certifications such as Certified in Special Needs Transportation and Pupil Transportation Specialist.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for school bus drivers was $47,920. Earnings can vary based on experience and location, with the lowest 10% of earners making less than $29,240 and the highest 10% earning more than $65,730.

    There are 402,930 people employed in this occupation. From 2025 to 2035, employment is projected to experience little or no change, with a growth rate of 0.7%. Despite this flat growth, the field expects about 56,500 job openings each year as workers retire or transfer to other occupations.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    75 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    10 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    3 / 100
    Social (S)
    58 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    20 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    62 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCS. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    83
    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    80
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    76
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    76
    Getting Information
    73
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    69
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    68
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    64
    Documenting/Recording Information
    63
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    63
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Critical Thinking
    • Monitoring
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Speaking
    • Coordination
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Service Orientation
    • Judgment and Decision Making

    Knowledge

    • Transportation
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • English Language
    • Mechanical
    • Law and Government
    • Geography
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Psychology
    • Administration and Management

    Abilities

    • Far Vision
    • Near Vision
    • Depth Perception
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Reaction Time
    • Speech Recognition
    • Control Precision
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Peripheral Vision
    • Auditory Attention

    Work styles

    • Cautiousness
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cooperation
    • Self-Control
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Empathy
    • Social Orientation
    • Sincerity

    Also called

    Bus Drive Coordinator · Bus Driver Route Coordinator · Campus Driver · CDL Bus Driver (Commercial Driver's License Bus Driver) · CDL School Bus Driver (Commercial Driver's License School Bus Driver) · Public School Bus Driver · School Bus Driver · School Bus Operator · School Van Driver · Shuttle Bus Driver

    Career pathway

    From your interests to bus drivers, school

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Bus Drivers, School$47,920 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      Pennsylvania College of Technology

      Williamsport, PA · Ground Transportation · Associate

      1 yr after
      $54,938
      4 yrs after
      $62,389
      Median debt
      $12,000

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What bus drivers, school may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    53 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about bus drivers, school

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some common alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this field are also called school bus operators, school van drivers, campus drivers, and shuttle bus drivers. Some positions specify credentials in their titles, such as CDL school bus driver or bus drive coordinator.

    What certifications can school bus drivers earn?

    Drivers can earn specialized credentials through the National Association for Pupil Transportation. These include the Certified in Special Needs Transportation and the Pupil Transportation Specialist designations.

    How many job openings are expected for school bus drivers?

    Projected employment growth from 2025 to 2035 is 0.7%, which represents little or no change. However, due to the need to replace workers who leave the occupation, there are still 56,500 job openings projected each year.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.