How to hire a bus attendant

Bus attendant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring bus attendants in the United States:

In the United States, the median cost per hire a bus attendant is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new bus attendant to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a bus attendant, step by step

To hire a bus attendant, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a bus attendant, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step bus attendant hiring guide:

Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
Step 3: Make a budget
Step 4: Write a bus attendant job description
Step 5: Post your job
Step 6: Interview candidates
Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new bus attendant
Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a bus attendant do?

A Bus Attendant performs a variety of support tasks to ensure that passengers get to receive optimal services. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their place or industry of employment, it typically revolves around answering questions about bus routes and other services, directing passengers on and off the bus, assisting passengers with special or particular needs, adjusting seats, and handling documents. Bus Attendants must prepare and hand out refreshments, distribute blankets or pillows, and operate wheelchair lifts.

Learn more about the specifics of what a bus attendant does

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Identify your hiring needs

Before you start hiring a bus attendant, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

Determine employee vs contractor status

Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

Hiring the perfect bus attendant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

The following list breaks down different types of bus attendants and their corresponding salaries.

Type of Bus Attendant	Description	Hourly rate
Bus Attendant		$10-15
Ship Steward	A ship steward's responsibilities will vary depending on whether they work in housekeeping, the kitchen, or as a guide in a cruise ship. Most of the time, the duties of a ship steward will revolve around assisting and engaging with guests, ensuring that they are satisfied with the services and amenities... Show more	$7-29
Bus Monitor	A bus monitor is responsible for supervising students on school buses and coordinating with bus drivers, ensuring a safe transport service for everyone. They are in charge of monitoring the students' behavior, assisting the students with mobility issues, maintaining order, and enforcing the safety rules and policies... Show more	$10-15

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Cleanliness
- Safety Rules
- CPR
- Emergency Situations
- Seat Belts
- Incident Reports
- Safety Regulations
- Safety Procedures
- Wheel Chair
- Behavior Problems
- Direct Supervision
- Assist Bus
- Tie Downs
- Bus Safety
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Implement speech, occupational and ABA therapy strategies.
- Attend certification class for first aid, CPR, equipment, and kindergarten/first grade training.
- Transport patients utilizing safety, equipment and protocols throughout HFWH
- Examine injure persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
- Attend all essential workshops that are requested for ESE attendants.
- Examine injure persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
More bus attendant duties

Make a budget

Including a salary range in your bus attendant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A bus attendant salary can vary based on several factors:

Location. For example, bus attendants' average salary in south carolina is 43% less than in washington.
Seniority. Entry-level bus attendants earn 33% less than senior-level bus attendants.
Certifications. A bus attendant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a bus attendant's salary.

Average bus attendant salary

$13.17hourly

$27,387 yearly

Entry-level bus attendant salary

$22,000 yearly salary

Updated January 15, 2026

Average bus attendant salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington	$34,649	$17
2	Tennessee	$33,847	$16
3	Illinois	$31,404	$15
4	California	$28,654	$14
5	Kentucky	$27,704	$13
6	Colorado	$27,463	$13
7	Massachusetts	$27,081	$13
8	New York	$27,040	$13
9	Iowa	$26,685	$13
10	Oklahoma	$25,972	$12
11	New Mexico	$24,441	$12
12	Arizona	$23,653	$11
13	Texas	$23,075	$11
14	Florida	$21,691	$10
15	Ohio	$21,645	$10

Average bus attendant salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Boston Public Schools	$36,858	$17.72	20
2	Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES	$36,503	$17.55
3	CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL ASSOCIATION	$27,965	$13.44	13
4	First Transit	$27,634	$13.29
5	First Student	$27,601	$13.27	1,130
6	Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authorty	$27,472	$13.21	21
7	Marriott International	$27,010	$12.99	344
8	Sage Hospitality Group	$26,957	$12.96	55
9	Bruce Transportation Group	$26,935	$12.95
10	ABM Industries	$26,818	$12.89	63
11	San Juan Unified School District	$26,801	$12.89	4
12	Sacramento City Unified School District	$26,799	$12.88	5
13	Hampton Jitney	$26,596	$12.79
14	WKYU	$26,585	$12.78	2
15	Elk Grove Unified School District	$26,562	$12.77
16	Grossmont College	$26,560	$12.77
17	Natomas Schools Foundation	$26,275	$12.63
18	North Arlington School District Nj	$25,609	$12.31	4
19	Lodi Unified School District	$25,301	$12.16	2
20	Cleveland Metropolitan School District	$24,803	$11.92	1

Writing a bus attendant job description
A good bus attendant job description should include a few things:
- Summary of the role
- List of responsibilities
- Required skills and experience
Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a bus attendant job description:
Bus attendant job description example
The Bus Attendant supports other staff members by handling basic tasks, such as taking and delivering orders, preparing beverages, and cleaning or making basic repairs. Setting tables, serving food orders and removing used dishes and utensils.
Job Description
Picks up food product for orders placed by the service staff and delivers the meal to our guests.Assists the kitchen and service staff as needed to maintain the highest level of food quality, presentation, and timing to optimize our guests dining experience.Sets up the front line with the equipment, plateware, and smallwares needed to effectively serve all food products.Keeps station restocked throughout the shift.Cleans large and small trays and tray stands to be ready for service.Assists the server as needed to optimize the guest's dining experience.Accomplishes all job duties while adhering to all safety guidelines and practices throughout the shift.Reports any unsafe condition, unsafe act, accidents and/or injuries to the Restaurant Manager or other manager on duty.Correctly completes closing duties at the end of each shift.Assists kitchen personnel in accomplishing closing duties and kitchen cleanliness.Completes all side work in the front and/or back of the house as assigned and scheduled by the members of the management team.Speaking to customers, answering questions.

Benefits

Sonesta recognizes that benefits play a vital role in helping ensure the health and financial security of employees and their families. We offer a variety of benefits to our employees including:

Medical, Dental and Vision InsuranceHealth Savings Account with Company Match 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company MatchPaid Vacation and Sick DaysSonesta Hotel DiscountsEducational AssistancePaid Parental LeaveCompany Paid Life InsuranceCompany Paid Short Term and Long Term Disability InsuranceVarious Employee Perks and Discounts

Upon submitting your application, please ensure you complete a full application in addition to attaching a resume. Incomplete applications received will not be considered.

Additional Job Description

Benefits

Sonesta recognizes that benefits play a vital role in helping ensure the health and financial security of employees and their families. We offer a variety of benefits to our employees including:

Medical, Dental and Vision InsuranceHealth Savings Account with Company Match 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company MatchPaid Vacation and Sick DaysSonesta Hotel DiscountsEducational AssistancePaid Parental LeaveCompany Paid Life InsuranceCompany Paid Short Term and Long Term Disability InsuranceVarious Employee Perks and Discounts

Upon submitting your application, please ensure you complete a full application in addition to attaching a resume. Incomplete applications received will not be considered.
Post your job
To find bus attendants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any bus attendants they would recommend.
- Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level bus attendants with the right educational background.
- Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
Post your job online:
- Post your bus attendant job on Zippia to find and recruit bus attendant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
To successfully recruit bus attendants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.
Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new bus attendant
Once you've selected the best bus attendant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.
It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.
To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a bus attendant?

There are different types of costs for hiring bus attendants. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new bus attendant employee.

You can expect to pay around $27,387 per year for a bus attendant, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for bus attendants in the US typically range between $10 and $15 an hour.

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Updated January 15, 2026

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How to hire a bus attendant