Bus drivers, school
Drive a school bus to transport students. Ensure adherence to safety rules. May assist students in boarding or exiting.
Bus drivers, school drive a school bus to transport students. Ensure adherence to safety rules. May assist students in boarding or exiting. The role reports a median annual salary of $47,040 in the US and is projected to grow 20% over the next decade (much faster than average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.52 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £36,340 a year for Bus and coach drivers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £30,889 to £43,855 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 8212). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Plant and machine operators and assemblers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Bus drivers, school, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 8. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Transportation
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mechanical
- Law and Government
- Geography
- Personnel and Human Resources
What you'd actually 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.
- Drive gasoline, diesel, or electrically powered multi-passenger vehicles to transport students between neighborhoods, schools, and school activities.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Bus drivers, school do?
Drive a school bus to transport students. Ensure adherence to safety rules. May assist students in boarding or exiting.
How much does Bus drivers, school earn?
The median annual salary for Bus drivers, school in the US is $47,040.
What is the job outlook for Bus drivers, school?
The role is projected to grow 20% over the next decade (much faster than average). Current US employment is approximately 387,300 workers.
How do I become bus drivers, school?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Bus drivers, school need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Operations Monitoring. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Bus drivers, school?
Our AI-durability model gives Bus drivers, school a score of 0.52 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Bus drivers, school has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.