Charter driver vs school bus driver

The differences between charter 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 $36,685 average annual salary of a charter driver.

The top three skills for a charter driver include CDL, reliable transportation and transport passengers. The most important skills for a school bus driver are vehicle inspections, customer service, and safety rules.

Charter driver vs school bus driver overview

	Charter Driver	School Bus Driver
Yearly salary	$36,685	$37,607
Hourly rate	$17.64	$18.08
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	44,652	112,230
Job satisfaction	-	1.5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 35%
Average age	55	58
Years of experience	-	-

Charter driver vs school bus driver salary

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

	Charter Driver	School Bus Driver
Average salary	$36,685	$37,607
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $49,000	Between $30,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Bridgeport, CT	Springfield, MA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Jefferson Lines	Epic Systems
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between charter driver and school bus driver education

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

	Charter Driver	School Bus Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 35%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Charter driver vs school bus driver demographics

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

	Charter Driver	School Bus Driver
Average age	55	58
Gender ratio	Male, 73.9% Female, 26.1%	Male, 44.7% Female, 55.3%
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, 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 charter driver and school bus driver duties and responsibilities

Charter driver example 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

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.

Charter driver vs school bus driver skills

Common charter driver skills

CDL, 60%
Reliable Transportation, 28%
Transport Passengers, 6%
DOT, 2%
Post-Trip Inspections, 2%
Log Book, 1%

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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Charter Driver
Charter Driver vs School Bus Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

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