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What is a city bus driver and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
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There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a city bus driver. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.11 an hour? That's $37,673 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 32,800 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreCity Bus DriverUS Average
Salary
2.9

Avg. Salary $37,673

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.0

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.8
Race

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%

Gender

female 36.89%

male 63.11%

Age - 56
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 56
Stress level
8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

City bus driver career paths

Key steps to become a city bus driver

  1. Explore city bus driver education requirements

    Most common city bus driver degrees

    High School Diploma

    45.0 %

    Associate

    23.1 %

    Diploma

    11.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific city bus driver skills

    SkillsPercentages
    DOT30.87%
    Passenger Endorsement13.42%
    Transport Passengers12.96%
    Safety Rules11.03%
    Bus Route6.79%
  3. Complete relevant city bus driver training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New city bus 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 city bus driver based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real city bus driver resumes.
  4. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming a licensed city bus driver usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed city bus driver in most of states. 21 states require city bus drivers to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
    StateEducationExamLicense url
    KentuckySpecific course requiredState exam requiredSchool Bus Driver
    MarylandSpecific course requiredState exam requiredBUS DRIVER, SCHOOL
    AlaskaSpecific course requiredState exam requiredBus Driver, School
    California-State exam requiredCommercial Driver License
    Idaho-State exam requiredCommercial Drivers
  5. Research city bus driver duties and responsibilities

    • Assist physically and mentally challenge individuals with boarding and disembarking para-transit vehicles.
    • Document mileage and client information into SCR computer system (MDT).
  6. Prepare your city bus driver resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your city bus 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 city bus 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 city bus driver resume templates

    Build a professional city bus 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 city bus driver resume.
    City Bus Driver Resume
    City Bus Driver Resume
    City Bus Driver Resume
    City Bus Driver Resume
    City Bus Driver Resume
    City Bus Driver Resume
    City Bus Driver Resume
    City Bus Driver Resume
    City Bus Driver Resume
  7. Apply for city bus driver jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a city bus driver job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first city bus driver job

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Average city bus driver salary

The average city bus driver salary in the United States is $37,673 per year or $18 per hour. City bus driver salaries range between $30,000 and $46,000 per year.

Average city bus driver salary
$37,673 Yearly
$18.11 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do city bus drivers rate their job?

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City bus driver reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros

Severing the public , being able to get people to and from work and home is a good day work as a bus driver.

Cons

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


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2022
Pros

The freedom to work on your own schedule.

Cons

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.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

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.

Cons

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.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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