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The differences between school bus drivers and van 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 $36,254 average annual salary of a van driver.
The top three skills for a school bus driver include vehicle inspections, customer service and safety rules. The most important skills for a van driver are CDL, customer service, and OTR.
| School Bus Driver | Van Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $37,607 | $36,254 |
| Hourly rate | $18.08 | $17.43 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 112,230 | 791,293 |
| Job satisfaction | 1.5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 58 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A school bus driver is responsible for students' safe transportation during school days or any related events. Aside from ensuring that the students get to their destination on time, a school bus driver must ensure to abide by the traffic laws and regulations at all times and follow particular routes for picking-up and dropping off students. Furthermore, a school bus driver must ensure students' safety at all times by conducting daily bus maintenance and maintaining order inside the vehicle.
A van driver is responsible for operating a wide and a larger-sized vehicle than a regular car, usually used as a company shuttle to pick up and drop employees to designated areas. Van drivers should have a clean driving record, ensuring the safety and comfortability of the passengers while on the road. They should also be familiar with the location, considering alternative routes for any road complications to avoid delays. A van driver must have comprehensive knowledge of the mechanical industry, inspecting the engine's condition, and perform repairs as necessary.
School bus drivers and van drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Bus Driver | Van Driver | |
| Average salary | $37,607 | $36,254 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $46,000 | Between $24,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Springfield, MA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Epic Systems | DVFSchool |
| Best paying industry | Education | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a school bus driver and a van driver in terms of educational background:
| School Bus Driver | Van Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between school bus drivers' and van drivers' demographics:
| School Bus Driver | Van Driver | |
| Average age | 58 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.7% Female, 55.3% | Male, 65.9% Female, 34.1% |
| 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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 3.6% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 4% |