Bus aide vs special education bus driver

The differences between bus aides and special education bus drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special education bus driver has an average salary of $37,713, which is higher than the $27,305 average annual salary of a bus aide.

The top three skills for a bus aide include safety rules, kids and CPR. The most important skills for a special education bus driver are autism, CDL, and mechanical problems.

Bus aide vs special education bus driver overview

	Bus Aide	Special Education Bus Driver
Yearly salary	$27,305	$37,713
Hourly rate	$13.13	$18.13
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	47,159	22,974
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	58	58
Years of experience	-	-

Bus aide vs special education bus driver salary

Bus aides and special education bus drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bus Aide	Special Education Bus Driver
Average salary	$27,305	$37,713
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $32,000	Between $31,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Pawtucket, RI	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES	-
Best paying industry	Transportation	-

Differences between bus aide and special education bus driver education

There are a few differences between a bus aide and a special education bus driver in terms of educational background:

	Bus Aide	Special Education Bus Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bus aide vs special education bus driver demographics

Here are the differences between bus aides' and special education bus drivers' demographics:

	Bus Aide	Special Education Bus Driver
Average age	58	58
Gender ratio	Male, 19.9% Female, 80.1%	Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 2.5% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 2.6% White, 71.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between bus aide and special education bus driver duties and responsibilities

Bus aide example responsibilities.

Attend all meetings, first aide, CPR classes when instruct.
Involve certification of CPR class, loading wheelchairs, and attending to safety of students while in transit
Help kids load on and off the bus, ensuring children are buckled in and sitting correctly in their seat.
Monitor kids and priority kids safety
Provide appropriate intervention in conflict situations according to ISS standards; notify principal or office when necessary.
Assist children on bus with ESE problems

Special education bus driver example responsibilities.

Implement provisions for IEP's and maintain confidentiality.
Perform vehicle pre-trip inspections and appropriately documents.
Train and supervise bus assistants on proper procedures for handling disable children in walkers and wheel chairs.

Bus aide vs special education bus driver skills

Common bus aide skills

Safety Rules, 33%
Kids, 15%
CPR, 10%
Seat Belts, 5%
Wheel Chair, 4%
Emergency Situations, 4%

Common special education bus driver skills

Autism, 21%
CDL, 20%
Mechanical Problems, 16%
Inspection Reports, 12%
First-Aid Procedures, 6%
Wheel Chair, 5%

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Bus Aide
Bus Aide vs Special Education Bus Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

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