Bus operator vs city bus driver

The differences between bus operators and city bus drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a city bus driver has an average salary of $37,673, which is higher than the $37,374 average annual salary of a bus operator.

The top three skills for a bus operator include transport passengers, CDL and safety rules. The most important skills for a city bus driver are DOT, passenger endorsement, and transport passengers.

Bus operator vs city bus driver overview

	Bus Operator	City Bus Driver
Yearly salary	$37,374	$37,673
Hourly rate	$17.97	$18.11
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	65,075	49,162
Job satisfaction	3.5	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	55	55
Years of experience	-	-

Bus operator vs city bus driver salary

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

	Bus Operator	City Bus Driver
Average salary	$37,374	$37,673
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $46,000	Between $30,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Newark, NJ	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Microsoft	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between bus operator and city bus driver education

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

	Bus Operator	City Bus Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bus operator vs city bus driver demographics

Here are the differences between bus operators' and city bus drivers' demographics:

	Bus Operator	City Bus Driver
Average age	55	55
Gender ratio	Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5%	Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 25.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 4.9% White, 47.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 25.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 4.9% White, 47.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between bus operator and city bus driver duties and responsibilities

Bus operator example responsibilities.

Follow maps and electronic GPS as needed.
Operate various types of company vehicles that require CDL certification.
Perform a complete visual safety check of each bus driven on a daily basis, completing daily pre and post-trip checklists.
Assist passengers with special needs in wheelchairs and walkers to be safely transport in the bus.
Train and supervise bus assistants on proper procedures for handling disable children in walkers and wheel chairs.
Assemble wires together for RV 's

City bus driver example responsibilities.

Assist physically and mentally challenge individuals with boarding and disembarking para-transit vehicles.
Document mileage and client information into SCR computer system (MDT).

Bus operator vs city bus driver skills

Common bus operator skills

Transport Passengers, 32%
CDL, 12%
Safety Rules, 11%
Vehicle Inspections, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Passenger Endorsement, 4%

Common city bus driver skills

DOT, 31%
Passenger Endorsement, 13%
Transport Passengers, 13%
Safety Rules, 11%
Bus Route, 7%
Air Brakes, 4%

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Transportation Industry
Bus Operator
Bus Operator vs City Bus Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

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