Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
What is a charter driver and how to become one
Avg. Salary $36,685
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.15%
Asian 4.90%
Black or African American 25.13%
Hispanic or Latino 17.04%
Unknown 4.12%
White 47.66%
Genderfemale 26.05%
male 73.95%
Age - 56American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 56Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Charter driver career paths
Key steps to become a charter driver
Explore charter driver education requirements
Start to develop specific charter driver skills
Skills Percentages CDL 60.15% Reliable Transportation 27.92% Transport Passengers 6.35% DOT 2.08% Post-Trip Inspections 1.89% Complete relevant charter driver training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New charter drivers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a charter driver based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real charter driver resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming a licensed charter driver usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed charter driver in most of states. 18 states require charter drivers to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.State Education Exam License url Kentucky Specific course required State exam required School Bus Driver Maryland Specific course required State exam required BUS DRIVER, SCHOOL Alaska Specific course required State exam required Bus Driver, School Idaho - State exam required Commercial Drivers Illinois Specific course required State exam required COMMERCIAL DRIVER (TRUCK AND BUS OPERATOR) Research charter driver duties and responsibilities
- Accomplish CDL license with endorsement in doubles/triples.
- Transport patients who are either require wheelchair/stretcher transport from facility/home etc to their request destination.
- Obtain information about children health history and allergies
Prepare your charter driver resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your charter driver resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a charter driver resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable charter driver resume templates
Build a professional charter driver resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your charter driver resume.
Apply for charter driver jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a charter driver job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first charter driver job
Are you a charter driver?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average charter driver salary
The average charter driver salary in the United States is $36,685 per year or $18 per hour. Charter driver salaries range between $27,000 and $49,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do charter drivers rate their job?
Charter driver reviews
Severing the public , being able to get people to and from work and home is a good day work as a bus driver.
Not enough overtime , the hours are not enough, and since their are meaningful, being able to sign up for overtime helps . Then there are the class C drivers who take advantage of bus drivers, by cutting us off, or just not being aware that a 40ft/ 60ft bus can not stop on a dime And while class C drivers take unnecessary traffic risk. A bus driver must stay alert and expect the unexpected every minute under the wheel of a bus
The freedom to work on your own schedule.
The road rage drivers: people lose their empathy when driving. They become aggressive and angry by the slightest event on the road. Hence, taking the fun out of driving. However, driving is still relaxing and fun.
I like the split schedule and having holidays, snow days and summers (if you want them). I like my supervisors and my co-workers. I drive a special needs run which I really enjoy and get a lot of satisfaction from and we receive good benefits and retirement.
It’s hard to get up so early! When I had a regular run I believed that those routes should have attendants to help control the students-instead of just special needs routes having them.
Updated January 8, 2025
