Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between professional drivers and bus drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a professional driver has an average salary of $49,556, which is higher than the $36,879 average annual salary of a bus driver.
The top three skills for a professional driver include safety regulations, vehicle inspections and CDL. The most important skills for a bus driver are CDL, DOT, and customer service.
| Professional Driver | Bus Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $49,556 | $36,879 |
| Hourly rate | $23.82 | $17.73 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 1,043,986 | 359,229 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 27% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Average age | 48 | 58 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A professional driver is responsible for offering driving services as a way of living. Professional drivers are often employed by a company or private household, transporting the employees and clients from one location to another with the utmost safety and comfortability. To be a professional driver, one must have a valid professional driver's license, as well as a clean driving record for efficient job completion. A professional driver should also have comprehensive knowledge of the mechanical industry, especially on inspecting the vehicle's engine and conducting repairs as needed to avoid any delays in services.
Bus drivers are mainly responsible for safely transporting passengers to their destinations. Bus drivers must be attentive and highly focused to monitor road situations at all times, avoiding any cause of accidents. A bus driver must also ensure to follow all safety policies and procedures during the travel. Bus drivers should also be knowledgeable in monitoring the engine's condition, spot any unusual signals and inconsistencies of the vehicle system that might compromise everyone's safety and comfortability.
Professional drivers and bus drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Driver | Bus Driver | |
| Average salary | $49,556 | $36,879 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $73,000 | Between $29,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Nashua, NH |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | Preston High School |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a professional driver and a bus driver in terms of educational background:
| Professional Driver | Bus Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 27% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between professional drivers' and bus drivers' demographics:
| Professional Driver | Bus Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 58 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.2% Female, 20.8% | Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 3.6% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 2.7% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 9% |