How to hire a bus operator

How to hire a bus operator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step bus operator 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 operator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new bus operator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a bus operator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The bus operator hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a bus operator to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a bus operator that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of bus operator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Bus Operator	Description	Hourly rate
   Bus Operator	Bus drivers transport people between various places—including work, school, and shopping malls—and across state or national borders. Some drive regular routes, and others transport passengers on chartered trips or sightseeing tours.	$14-22
   Transit Driver	A Transit Driver is tasked with driving passengers on already predetermined and specific routes along suburban or city streets and ensuring that they get to their destinations. He/She typically collects bus fares or tickets from passengers, answers questions on schedules and routes, and reports any traffic disruption or accidents to a central dispatcher... Show more	$12-22
   School Bus Driver	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... Show more	$14-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Transport Passengers
   • CDL
   • Safety Rules
   • Vehicle Inspections
   • Customer Service
   • Passenger Endorsement
   • Incident Reports
   • Post-Trip Inspections
   • Two-Way Radio
   • Pre-Trip Inspections
   • Bus Stops
   • Local Traffic Regulations
   • Defensive Driving
   • Air Brakes

   Check all skills

   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

   More bus operator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, bus operators' average salary in new mexico is 26% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level bus operators earn 35% less than senior-level bus operators.
   • Certifications. A bus operator 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 operator's salary.

   Average bus operator salary

   $37,374yearly

   $17.97 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level bus operator salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average bus operator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$43,738	$21
   2	Oregon	$42,844	$21
   3	Connecticut	$42,319	$20
   4	Alaska	$40,727	$20
   5	Colorado	$40,121	$19
   6	Georgia	$40,021	$19
   7	California	$39,336	$19
   8	District of Columbia	$38,611	$19
   9	Maryland	$38,316	$18
   10	Texas	$37,598	$18
   11	Minnesota	$37,587	$18
   12	Kansas	$37,526	$18
   13	Indiana	$37,223	$18
   14	Utah	$36,748	$18
   15	Pennsylvania	$36,585	$18
   16	Illinois	$36,461	$18
   17	Ohio	$36,119	$17
   18	Arizona	$35,892	$17
   19	Delaware	$35,083	$17
   20	Arkansas	$34,939	$17

   Average bus operator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$118,444	$56.94	4
   2	City Utilities of Springfield	$48,426	$23.28	1
   3	Northrop Grumman	$47,516	$22.84	8
   4	University of California-Berkeley	$47,369	$22.77	4
   5	University of California	$45,808	$22.02	10
   6	UC Santa Barbara	$44,058	$21.18
   7	Rapid International	$41,240	$19.83	4
   8	Mayor Ethan Berkowitz	$41,099	$19.76	2
   9	George Mc Parland Elementary	$40,368	$19.41
   10	Hillsborough Transit Authority	$39,920	$19.19	2
   11	San Diego Transit Corporation	$39,920	$19.19
   12	REEF Technology	$39,920	$19.19
   13	Parking Company Of America	$39,862	$19.16
   14	Solid Ground	$39,815	$19.14
   15	GoTriangle	$39,460	$18.97	3
   16	Tulsa Transit	$39,406	$18.95	1
   17	CityBus	$39,337	$18.91
   18	Imperial Parking	$39,238	$18.86
   19	Reef	$39,216	$18.85	5
   20	Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County	$39,038	$18.77	3

4. Writing a bus operator job description

   A bus operator job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a bus operator job description:

   Bus operator job description example

   Regional Transit Service (RTS) is a regional transit authority established by New York State with more than 1,000 employees who proudly serve customers and business partners in Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. Recognized as one of the best-run transit systems in the nation, RTS partners with the community it serves to provide vital, safe, and sustainable transportation services to nearly 8 million people each year. We carry out our mission by connecting our customers to jobs, school, healthcare, shopping, and recreational activities every day.

   OVERVIEW:

   Drives bus or other revenue service vehicle to transport customers over specified routes to local points according to a time schedule. Pick up customers in response to radio or telephone relayed requests for service or on a pre-arranged schedule. Will assist customers with boarding and debarking the vehicle. Records activities on trip log, and reports malfunctions. Inspects vehicle before departure. Paid training.

   SALARY: $16.50 per hour

   QUALIFICATIONS:

   • Valid NY State Commercial Driver's License (Class A, B, or C) with passenger endorsement highly preferred. No CDL? WE WILL TRAIN YOU! (Must have Class "B" permit with passenger endorsement prior to start date.)
   • Clean driving record.
   • Background Check conducted.
   • Ability to pass 19A medical examination and Federal drug test.
   • Excellent Customer Service skills are a must.
   • Must be available to work occasional weekend and evening shifts

   PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT:

   Tasks involve the intermittent performance of physically demanding work, typically involving some combination of bending, kneeling, squatting, reaching, climbing (stairs), twisting (arm/back) and/or rotating (arm). May also involve lifting (up to 10 pounds), carrying (up to 10 pounds), pushing and/or pulling (up to 150 pounds) materials and/or equipment. Job involves sitting for extended periods of time; up to eight hours per day.

   Ninety-five percent of time is spent inside and 5% of time is spent outside exposing employee to natural environmental conditions. Employee is exposed to fumes, noise (bus), vibration (seat), hazards, and motorized vehicles.

   ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

   Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) has a zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy for all employees in accordance with state and federal law. All internal and external applicants will be required to undergo drug testing before employment and will be subject to further drug and/or alcohol testing throughout their employment in accordance with the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulatory requirements.

   RGRTA is committed to equal opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic. RGRTA will make reasonable accommodations for known physical or mental limitations of otherwise qualified employees and applicants with disabilities unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.

   Pursuant to Federal Transit Administration regulations, all applicants for employment in safety-sensitive positions must be given a pre-employment drug test. An applicant may not be assigned safety-sensitive functions unless the individual has a verified negative test result. RTS is required by law to test for various substances, including cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, PCP and marijuana metabolites. Please be advised that marijuana stays in the system for an extended period of time, sometimes more than 30 days, and can cause a positive test result long after use.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find bus operators for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your bus operator job on Zippia to find and recruit bus operator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with bus operator candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of 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.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new bus operator

   Once you've selected the best bus operator 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new bus operator. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. 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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