Bus driver vs school bus driver

The differences between bus drivers and school bus drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a school bus driver has an average salary of $37,607, which is higher than the $36,879 average annual salary of a bus driver.

The top three skills for a bus driver include CDL, DOT and customer service. The most important skills for a school bus driver are vehicle inspections, customer service, and safety rules.

Bus driver vs school bus driver overview

	Bus Driver	School Bus Driver
Yearly salary	$36,879	$37,607
Hourly rate	$17.73	$18.08
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	359,229	112,230
Job satisfaction	4.5	1.5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 35%
Average age	58	58
Years of experience	-	-

What does a bus driver do?

Bus drivers are mainly responsible for safely transporting passengers to their destinations. Bus drivers must be attentive and highly focused to monitor road situations at all times, avoiding any cause of accidents. A bus driver must also ensure to follow all safety policies and procedures during the travel. Bus drivers should also be knowledgeable in monitoring the engine's condition, spot any unusual signals and inconsistencies of the vehicle system that might compromise everyone's safety and comfortability.

What does a school bus driver do?

A school bus driver is responsible for students' safe transportation during school days or any related events. Aside from ensuring that the students get to their destination on time, a school bus driver must ensure to abide by the traffic laws and regulations at all times and follow particular routes for picking-up and dropping off students. Furthermore, a school bus driver must ensure students' safety at all times by conducting daily bus maintenance and maintaining order inside the vehicle.

Bus driver vs school bus driver salary

Bus drivers and school bus drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bus Driver	School Bus Driver
Average salary	$36,879	$37,607
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $45,000	Between $30,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Nashua, NH	Springfield, MA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Preston High School	Epic Systems
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between bus driver and school bus driver education

There are a few differences between a bus driver and a school bus driver in terms of educational background:

	Bus Driver	School Bus Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 35%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bus driver vs school bus driver demographics

Here are the differences between bus drivers' and school bus drivers' demographics:

	Bus Driver	School Bus Driver
Average age	58	58
Gender ratio	Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9%	Male, 44.7% Female, 55.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 2.7% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 2.6% White, 69.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between bus driver and school bus driver duties and responsibilities

Bus driver example responsibilities.

Demonstrate knowledge of designate routes in metro area.
Provide transportation for city of buffalo residents by driving metro city bus.
Work as the employee trainer for CDL's as well as performed orientation for all new employees.
Drive on narrow streets, in high traffic areas, around trolleys, and heavy pedestrian areas.
Operate a bus carrying passengers in accordance with the rules and regulation of the MTA bus company.
Help riders with wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, and other conditions board and exit the bus safely.

School bus driver example responsibilities.

Transport clients to doctor appointments, health clinic, and rehabilitation clinics for non-emergency services
Obtain CDL and perform daily safety checks on the bus for the security of the students.
Train and develop skills in using automatic defibrillator, CPR, and first-aid techniques to be prepare for emergency situations.
Aid as a monitor at high school during lunch periods in the commons to make sure the kids are safe.
Maintain minor vehicle maintenance and cleanliness.
Perform daily pre-trip and post trip.

Bus driver vs school bus driver skills

Common bus driver skills

CDL, 26%
DOT, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Safety Rules, 8%
CPR, 6%
Passenger Endorsement, 6%

Common school bus driver skills

Vehicle Inspections, 27%
Customer Service, 25%
Safety Rules, 7%
DOT, 6%
Post-Trip Inspections, 3%
Passenger Endorsement, 3%

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Bus Driver vs School Bus Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

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