School bus driver vs special education bus driver

The differences between school bus drivers and special education bus drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special education bus driver has an average salary of $37,713, which is higher than the $37,607 average annual salary of a school bus driver.

The top three skills for a school bus driver include vehicle inspections, customer service and safety rules. The most important skills for a special education bus driver are autism, CDL, and mechanical problems.

School bus driver vs special education bus driver overview

	School Bus Driver	Special Education Bus Driver
Yearly salary	$37,607	$37,713
Hourly rate	$18.08	$18.13
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	112,230	22,974
Job satisfaction	1.5	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	58	58
Years of experience	-	-

School bus driver vs special education bus driver salary

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

	School Bus Driver	Special Education Bus Driver
Average salary	$37,607	$37,713
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $46,000	Between $31,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	Epic Systems	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between school bus driver and special education bus driver education

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

	School Bus Driver	Special Education Bus Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

School bus driver vs special education bus driver demographics

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

	School Bus Driver	Special Education Bus Driver
Average age	58	58
Gender ratio	Male, 44.7% Female, 55.3%	Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8%
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, 6.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 2.6% White, 71.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between school bus driver and special education bus driver 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.

Special education bus driver example responsibilities.

Implement provisions for IEP's and maintain confidentiality.
Perform vehicle pre-trip inspections and appropriately documents.
Train and supervise bus assistants on proper procedures for handling disable children in walkers and wheel chairs.

School bus driver vs special education bus driver 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 special education bus driver skills

Autism, 21%
CDL, 20%
Mechanical Problems, 16%
Inspection Reports, 12%
First-Aid Procedures, 6%
Wheel Chair, 5%

School Bus Driver vs. similar jobs

School Bus Driver related careers

School Bus Driver related jobs

School Bus Driver jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Transportation Industry
School Bus Driver
School Bus Driver vs Special Education Bus Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs