How to hire a school bus driver

How to hire a school bus driver, step by step

Here's a step-by-step school bus driver hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a school bus driver job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new school bus driver
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a school bus driver do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your school bus driver job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a school bus driver for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A school bus driver's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, school bus drivers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of school bus drivers.

   Type of School Bus Driver	Description	Hourly rate
   School Bus Driver	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
   Bus Monitor	A bus monitor is responsible for supervising students on school buses and coordinating with bus drivers, ensuring a safe transport service for everyone. They are in charge of monitoring the students' behavior, assisting the students with mobility issues, maintaining order, and enforcing the safety rules and policies... Show more	$10-15
   Bus Operator	Bus operators have different roles and responsibilities. These include providing bus driver training, ensuring all drivers have a valid license, and conducting an audit of the bus drivers' performance periodically... Show more	$14-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Vehicle Inspections
   • Customer Service
   • Safety Rules
   • DOT
   • Post-Trip Inspections
   • Passenger Endorsement
   • Pre-Trip Inspections
   • CDL License
   • CPR
   • Transportation Services
   • Bus Route
   • Safety Procedures
   • Air Brakes
   • Bus Stops

   Check all skills

   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.

   More school bus driver duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the school bus driver job description is a good way to get more applicants. A school bus driver salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a school bus driver in Oklahoma may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level school bus driver. Additionally, a school bus driver with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average school bus driver salary

   $37,607yearly

   $18.08 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level school bus driver salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average school bus driver salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$46,465	$22
   2	Washington	$44,031	$21
   3	Alaska	$43,028	$21
   4	New Hampshire	$42,021	$20
   5	Rhode Island	$41,096	$20
   6	Connecticut	$40,765	$20
   7	New Jersey	$40,210	$19
   8	Oregon	$39,557	$19
   9	California	$39,274	$19
   10	New York	$39,237	$19
   11	Pennsylvania	$38,793	$19
   12	Maryland	$38,574	$19
   13	Minnesota	$38,465	$18
   14	Indiana	$38,149	$18
   15	Wisconsin	$37,594	$18
   16	Louisiana	$36,834	$18
   17	Texas	$36,698	$18
   18	Michigan	$35,948	$17
   19	Nebraska	$35,939	$17
   20	Iowa	$35,934	$17

   Average school bus driver salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Epic Systems	$46,585	$22.40
   2	Torah Academy	$44,821	$21.55
   3	Clark County School District	$43,621	$20.97	8
   4	Preston High School	$43,464	$20.90
   5	Forsyth Country Day School	$43,302	$20.82
   6	Rudolph Foods	$42,816	$20.58
   7	Urban Habitat	$42,538	$20.45
   8	Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES	$42,411	$20.39
   9	Madera High School	$42,385	$20.38	16
   10	Austin Achieve Public Schools	$42,172	$20.27	5
   11	Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy	$41,913	$20.15	2
   12	The Overlake School	$41,407	$19.91	4
   13	Los Angeles Unified School District	$41,121	$19.77	2
   14	Torrance Unified School District	$41,095	$19.76
   15	Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District	$41,078	$19.75
   16	Rancho Alamitos High School	$41,063	$19.74	1
   17	Hamilton Fulton Montgomery BOCES - Practical Nursing Program	$40,898	$19.66
   18	Lodi Unified School District	$40,777	$19.60	6
   19	Distinctive Schools	$40,772	$19.60	8
   20	Valparaiso Community Schools	$40,756	$19.59	6

4. Writing a school bus driver job description

   A school bus driver 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. Below, you can find an example of a school bus driver job description:

   School bus driver job description example

   St. Catherine's School is accepting applications for School Bus Drivers. Applicants with Class A or Class B CDL, with Passenger and Air Brake endorsements with a minimum of three years' driving experience are preferred. Responsibilities include driving students along daily shuttle route and day trips. Maintaining assigned bus in a safe, clean, professional manner is a must. Employment is subject to successful background check and physical evaluation.
   
   St. Catherine's School is an Episcopal day, all-girls' school in Richmond, Virginia, founded in 1890 and enrolling 946 students age 3 to grade 12. Located on a 16 acre campus in the western part of the city, the School mission is to provide a rigorous education that prepares girls with diverse perspectives for a lifetime of learning, leadership and service in a global community. St. Catherine's core values are: pursuing academic excellence, developing character, nurturing spiritual growth, celebrating individuals and building community.
   EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
   
   St. Catherine's School does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its hiring practices. St. Catherine's School is committed to providing an inclusive educational environment. We actively engage students, families, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our School community respects the differences in ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. Consistent with the School's mission, St. Catherine's fosters in our students, and experts from all others, respect for the dignity and wholeness of every person.
   
   CONDITIONAL OFFERS
   
   An offer of employment for this position is contingent upon the applicant's right to work in the United States, authorization for and completion of successful background checks as may be requested by the school or required by law, and ability to comply with the school's COVID-19 vaccination policy, which requires employees to be vaccinated from COVID-19 consistent with applicable law.
   
   Requirements
   
   Core responsibilities of the Bus Driver include:
   
   • Pre-trip the vehicle properly.• Have bus fueled and ready to go 15 minutes prior to departure time• Properly fill out time sheet and mileage reports after each drive• Have reputable driving background• Must possess a Class B CDL with Passenger “P” and “Air Brake” Endorsements.• Must not have an air brakes restriction Drivers must be able to work various shifts per week.Benefits
   
   There are no benefits for this position.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find school bus drivers 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 school bus driver job on Zippia to find and recruit school bus driver candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with school bus driver 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 school bus driver

   Once you've found the school bus driver candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new school bus driver. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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How much does it cost to hire a school bus driver?