# Bus Drivers, School

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

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/bus-drivers-school
- SOC code: 53-3051.00
- Career family: Transportation
- Median annual pay: $47,920 (10th percentile $29,240, 90th percentile $65,730)
- Projected growth: Little or no change, +0.7%
- Openings a year: 56,500
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCS)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 75 |
| Investigative (I) | 10 |
| Artistic (A) | 3 |
| Social (S) | 58 |
| Enterprising (E) | 20 |
| Conventional (C) | 62 |

## What you'd do

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

## 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

## 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

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Ground Transportation](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4902) (CIP 4902, 213 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Pennsylvania College of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pennsylvania-college-of-technology-2096) | Ground Transportation | $54,938 | $62,389 | $12,000 |

## Related careers

- [School Bus Monitors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/school-bus-monitors): $35,100 median pay
- [Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/bus-drivers-transit-and-intercity): $59,050 median pay
- [Taxi Drivers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/taxi-drivers): $42,100 median pay
- [Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/shuttle-drivers-and-chauffeurs): $37,290 median pay
- [Subway and Streetcar Operators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/subway-and-streetcar-operators): $86,380 median pay
- [Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/railroad-conductors-and-yardmasters): $78,000 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

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.