State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Bus Driver, School Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Bus Drivers, School earn a median of $47,920 per year ($23.04/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 0.2% through 2034, with about 61,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 53-3051Transportation and Material MovingLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $47,920
- Projected growth
- +0.2%
- Openings a year
- 61,000
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Bus Drive Coordinator, Bus Driver, CDL Bus Driver (Commercial Driver's License Bus Driver), Public School Bus Driver, School Bus Driver, School Van Driver.
How much do Bus Drivers, School make?
10th percentile$29,240
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$38,650
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$47,920
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$58,430
Upper quartile
90th percentile$65,730
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $47,920 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $23.04/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $48,430 |
| People employed | 402,930 |
Versus all US occupations
At $47,920, Bus Drivers, School earn 6% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $3,060 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $58,405, this is 18% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $65,730 or more while the bottom 10% earn $29,240, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 23% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Massachusetts pays the most at $65,170, and still leads at $61,622 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Bus Drivers, School the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $65,170 | $61,622 | 9,330 |
| Washington | $63,370 | $59,217 | 9,660 |
| Connecticut | $61,520 | $59,377 | 7,970 |
| California | $61,040 | $55,130 | 16,600 |
| New Jersey | $59,430 | $54,621 | 13,670 |
| Hawaii | $59,090 | $53,742 | 630 |
| Rhode Island | $58,700 | $57,391 | 1,800 |
| New York | $56,640 | $52,483 | 38,320 |
| Vermont | $56,580 | $57,759 | 860 |
| Maryland | $56,450 | $53,783 | 9,020 |
Is Bus Driver, School a growing career?
Bus Drivers, School0.2%
All US occupations3.1%
+0.2% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Bus Drivers, School to change 0.2% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 900 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 61,000 openings are projected each year, 15.8% of the 387,300 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of bus drivers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Despite limited employment growth, about 81,800 openings for bus drivers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Schools will continue to rely on school bus drivers to transport students. However, declining student enrollments in public and private schools over the decade are expected to constrain demand for these workers.
How to become a Bus Driver, School
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.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as bus drivers, school.
- High School Diploma59.3%
- Less than a High School Diploma37.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate3.5%
What does a Bus Driver, School do?
Drive a school bus to transport students. Ensure adherence to safety rules. May assist students in boarding or exiting.
Bus drivers transport people between various places, including school, work, and shopping centers, and across state and national borders. Some drive set routes, and others transport passengers on chartered trips or sightseeing tours. They drive a range of vehicles, from 15-passenger buses to 60-foot articulated buses (with two connected sections) that can carry more than 100 passengers.
Day-to-day tasks
- Comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and courteous manner.
- 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.
- 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.
- Report delays, accidents, or other traffic and transportation situations, using telephones or mobile two-way radios.
- Keep bus interiors clean for students.
- Regulate heating, lighting, and ventilation systems for student comfort.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where bus drivers, school work
| Elementary and secondary schools; local | 48% |
|---|---|
| School and employee bus transportation | 34% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 10% |
| Elementary and secondary schools; private | 2% |
| Other transit and ground passenger transportation | 1% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.4/5
- Critical Thinking3.4/5
- Monitoring3.4/5
- Speaking3.1/5
- Reading Comprehension3.0/5
- Writing2.6/5
- Active Learning2.5/5
- Learning Strategies2.4/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.3/5
- Operations Monitoring3.1/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Service Orientation3.0/5
- Operation and Control2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
- Time Management2.9/5
- Persuasion2.4/5
Tools and software
- Operating system software · in demand
- Internet browser software
- Map creation software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Bus Driver, School?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.5
Investigative1.6
Artistic1.2
Socialprimary4.5
Enterprising2.2
Conventionalprimary4.7
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Bus Driver, School: frequently asked questions
How much do Bus Drivers, School make?
Bus Drivers, School earn a median of $47,920 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 6% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $23.04/hr. The middle half earn between $38,650 and $58,430. The top 10% earn $65,730 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Bus Driver, School?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Bus Drivers, School. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 59.3% hold high school diploma.
Is Bus Driver, School a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 0.2% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 61,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Bus Driver, School do?
Bus drivers transport people between various places, including school, work, and shopping centers, and across state and national borders. A core O*NET task: comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and courteous manner. Employers most often ask for Operating system software.
Which states pay Bus Drivers, School the most?
The highest state medians for Bus Drivers, School are Massachusetts ($65,170), Washington ($63,370), Connecticut ($61,520) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Bus Driver, School?
O*NET scores Bus Drivers, School highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.