School bus driver vs special needs bus driver

The differences between school bus drivers and special needs bus drivers 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 $37,581 average annual salary of a special needs 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 needs bus driver are safety equipment, CDL, and post-trip inspections.

School bus driver vs special needs bus driver overview

	School Bus Driver	Special Needs Bus Driver
Yearly salary	$37,607	$37,581
Hourly rate	$18.08	$18.07
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	112,230	51,389
Job satisfaction	1.5	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Associate Degree, 29%
Average age	58	58
Years of experience	-	-

School bus driver vs special needs bus driver salary

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

	School Bus Driver	Special Needs Bus Driver
Average salary	$37,607	$37,581
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $46,000	Between $31,000 And $44,000
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 needs bus driver education

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

	School Bus Driver	Special Needs Bus Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Associate Degree, 29%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

School bus driver vs special needs bus driver demographics

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

	School Bus Driver	Special Needs Bus Driver
Average age	58	58
Gender ratio	Male, 44.7% Female, 55.3%	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%
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, 6.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 3.0% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between school bus driver and special needs 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 needs bus driver example responsibilities.

Instruct students with disabilities, including autism, non-verbal, mental retardation, non-walking/restrict to wheelchair and down syndrome.
Perform vehicle pre-trip inspections and appropriately documents.
Assist children on bus with ESE problems

School bus driver vs special needs 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 needs bus driver skills

Safety Equipment, 40%
CDL, 20%
Post-Trip Inspections, 6%
DOT, 3%
Tie Downs, 3%
Safety Regulations, 3%

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School Bus Driver
School Bus Driver vs Special Needs Bus Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

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