Drive a school bus to transport students. Ensure adherence to safety rules. May assist students in boarding or exiting.
Explore this career interactively, with full detail →
Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Bus Drivers, School is licensed or registered in 54 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 5 professional certifications to Bus Drivers, School. 2 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Certified in Special Needs Transportation (CSNT), Pupil Transportation Specialist (CPTS). Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. On average, workers stand or walk about 0.7 hours and sit about 5.0 hours per day. For 67.6% of workers the job requires sedentary strength. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (96.6%), have a consistently fast work pace (46.8%), cannot pause their work (over 99.5%), and are exposed to the outdoors (84.1%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round bus drivers, school ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $40,600 with a high school diploma or GED, $40,600 with some college or an associate's degree and $45,700 with a bachelor's degree (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of bus drivers, school work in Educational Services (64%), Transportation and Warehousing (35%) and Health Care and Social Assistance (1%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most bus drivers, school are Elementary and Secondary Schools (50% of the jobs counted, median pay $45,860), School and Employee Bus Transportation (36% of the jobs counted, median pay $50,040), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (11% of the jobs counted, median pay $48,980), Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (1% of the jobs counted, median pay $47,620) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in School and Employee Bus Transportation ($50,040), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals ($48,980), Elementary and Secondary Schools ($45,860). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
What workers studied. Among bus drivers, school with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Business Management and Administration (10%), Accounting (7%), Criminal Justice and Fire Protection (6%) and General Business (4%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Injury and illness rates. For bus drivers, school, employers reported 149.5 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 11 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Transportation and material moving", which includes this career, 12.8% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,174 for union members and $866 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to bus drivers, school.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Transportation and material moving", which includes this career, 80% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 76% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 82% had paid sick leave, 86% paid vacation and 85% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to bus drivers, school, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $37.05 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Transportation and material moving" in June 2026 ($25.16 in wages and salaries and $11.89 in benefits, 32.1% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for bus drivers, school are: in an enclosed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (96%), frequency of decision making (92%), contact with others (88%), spend time sitting (87%), physical proximity (84%), time pressure (81%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (34% of 20 respondents) was "none"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (51% of 19 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (43% of 20 respondents) was "over 1 month, up to and including 3 months". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to bus drivers, school in the work done and the skills used: School Bus Monitors, Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity, Taxi Drivers, Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs, Subway and Streetcar Operators, Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters, Light Truck Drivers, Crossing Guards and Flaggers (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what bus drivers, school earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Bus Drivers, School salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare bus drivers, school with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →