School bus driver vs bus aide

The differences between school bus drivers and bus aides 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 $27,305 average annual salary of a bus aide.

The top three skills for a school bus driver include vehicle inspections, customer service and safety rules. The most important skills for a bus aide are safety rules, kids, and CPR.

School bus driver vs bus aide overview

	School Bus Driver	Bus Aide
Yearly salary	$37,607	$27,305
Hourly rate	$18.08	$13.13
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	112,230	47,159
Job satisfaction	1.5	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	58	58
Years of experience	-	-

School bus driver vs bus aide salary

School bus drivers and bus aides have different pay scales, as shown below.

	School Bus Driver	Bus Aide
Average salary	$37,607	$27,305
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $46,000	Between $22,000 And $32,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	Pawtucket, RI
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Epic Systems	Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES
Best paying industry	Education	Transportation

Differences between school bus driver and bus aide education

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

	School Bus Driver	Bus Aide
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

School bus driver vs bus aide demographics

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

	School Bus Driver	Bus Aide
Average age	58	58
Gender ratio	Male, 44.7% Female, 55.3%	Male, 19.9% Female, 80.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 2.5% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between school bus driver and bus aide duties and responsibilities

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.

Bus aide example responsibilities.

Attend all meetings, first aide, CPR classes when instruct.
Involve certification of CPR class, loading wheelchairs, and attending to safety of students while in transit
Help kids load on and off the bus, ensuring children are buckled in and sitting correctly in their seat.
Monitor kids and priority kids safety
Provide appropriate intervention in conflict situations according to ISS standards; notify principal or office when necessary.
Assist children on bus with ESE problems

School bus driver vs bus aide skills

Common school bus driver skills

Vehicle Inspections, 27%
Customer Service, 25%
Safety Rules, 7%
DOT, 6%
Post-Trip Inspections, 3%
Passenger Endorsement, 3%

Common bus aide skills

Safety Rules, 33%
Kids, 15%
CPR, 10%
Seat Belts, 5%
Wheel Chair, 4%
Emergency Situations, 4%