Bus aide vs special needs bus driver

The differences between bus aides and special needs bus drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special needs bus driver has an average salary of $37,581, 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 needs bus driver are safety equipment, CDL, and post-trip inspections.

Bus aide vs special needs bus driver overview

	Bus Aide	Special Needs Bus Driver
Yearly salary	$27,305	$37,581
Hourly rate	$13.13	$18.07
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	47,159	51,389
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	Associate Degree, 29%
Average age	58	58
Years of experience	-	-

Bus aide vs special needs bus driver salary

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

	Bus Aide	Special Needs Bus Driver
Average salary	$27,305	$37,581
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $32,000	Between $31,000 And $44,000
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 needs bus driver education

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

	Bus Aide	Special Needs Bus Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	Associate Degree, 29%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bus aide vs special needs bus driver demographics

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

	Bus Aide	Special Needs Bus Driver
Average age	58	58
Gender ratio	Male, 19.9% Female, 80.1%	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%
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, 6.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 3.0% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between bus aide and special needs 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 needs bus driver example responsibilities.

Instruct students with disabilities, including autism, non-verbal, mental retardation, non-walking/restrict to wheelchair and down syndrome.
Perform vehicle pre-trip inspections and appropriately documents.
Assist children on bus with ESE problems

Bus aide vs special needs 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 needs bus driver skills

Safety Equipment, 40%
CDL, 20%
Post-Trip Inspections, 6%
DOT, 3%
Tie Downs, 3%
Safety Regulations, 3%

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Bus Aide vs Special Needs Bus Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

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