Bus driver vs special needs bus driver

The differences between bus drivers 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 $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 special needs bus driver are safety equipment, CDL, and post-trip inspections.

Bus driver vs special needs bus driver overview

	Bus Driver	Special Needs Bus Driver
Yearly salary	$36,879	$37,581
Hourly rate	$17.73	$18.07
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	359,229	51,389
Job satisfaction	4.5	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Associate Degree, 29%
Average age	58	58
Years of experience	-	-

Bus driver vs special needs bus driver salary

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

	Bus Driver	Special Needs Bus Driver
Average salary	$36,879	$37,581
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $45,000	Between $31,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Nashua, NH	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	Preston High School	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between bus driver and special needs bus driver education

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

	Bus Driver	Special Needs Bus Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Associate Degree, 29%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bus driver vs special needs bus driver demographics

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

	Bus Driver	Special Needs Bus Driver
Average age	58	58
Gender ratio	Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9%	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%
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, 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 driver and special needs 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.

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 driver vs special needs bus driver skills

Common bus driver skills

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

Common special needs bus driver skills

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

Bus Driver vs. similar jobs

Bus Driver related careers

Bus Driver related jobs

Bus Driver jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Transportation Industry
Bus Driver
Bus Driver vs Special Needs Bus Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs