School bus operator demographics and statistics in the US
School bus operator demographics research summary. Zippia estimates school bus operator demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our school bus operator estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about school bus operators after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 109,763 school bus operators currently employed in the United States.
- 46.0% of all school bus operators are women, while 54.0% are men.
- The average school bus operator age is 57 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of school bus operators is White (63.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.5%), Black or African American (10.8%) and Unknown (4.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 98% of what men earned.
- 9% of all school bus operators are LGBT.
- School bus operators are 54% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
School bus operator demographics by:
School bus operator gender statistics
46.0% of school bus operators are women and 54.0% of school bus operators are men.
- Male, 54.0%
- Female, 46.0%
School bus operator gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 54.0% |
| Female | 46.0% |
School bus operator gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$37,630
Female income
$36,979
School bus operator gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in school bus operator positions over time. Currently, 46.0% of school bus operators are female.
School bus operator gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 52.75% | 47.25% |
| 2011 | 53.28% | 46.72% |
| 2012 | 52.12% | 47.88% |
| 2013 | 54.49% | 45.51% |
| 2014 | 53.38% | 46.62% |
| 2015 | 55.37% | 44.63% |
| 2016 | 55.91% | 44.09% |
| 2017 | 55.35% | 44.65% |
| 2018 | 53.98% | 46.02% |
| 2019 | 52.89% | 47.11% |
| 2020 | 53.46% | 46.54% |
| 2021 | 53.99% | 46.01% |
School bus operator related jobs gender ratio
We compared school bus operators with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, diesel truck driver and tank wagon driver have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Bus Matron | 11% | 89% |
| Bus Escort | 18% | 82% |
| Bus Monitor | 19% | 81% |
| School Bus Operator | 54% | 46% |
| Wrecker Operator | 99% | 1% |
| Tank Wagon Driver | 99% | 1% |
| Diesel Truck Driver | 100% | 0% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
School bus operator demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among school bus operators is White, which makes up 63.7% of all school bus operators. Comparatively, 17.5% of school bus operators are Hispanic or Latino and 10.8% of school bus operators are Black or African American.
- White, 63.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.5%
- Black or African American, 10.8%
- Unknown, 4.5%
- Asian, 2.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
School bus operator race
| School bus operator race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 63.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.5% |
| Black or African American | 10.8% |
| Unknown | 4.5% |
| Asian | 2.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
School bus operator race and ethnicity over time
See how school bus operator racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
School bus operator race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 61.85% | 18.72% | 1.61% | 15.47% |
| 2011 | 60.38% | 18.82% | 2.29% | 15.78% |
| 2012 | 61.20% | 17.96% | 2.18% | 15.84% |
| 2013 | 60.37% | 18.29% | 2.12% | 16.48% |
| 2014 | 61.23% | 18.12% | 1.88% | 16.23% |
| 2015 | 60.92% | 17.91% | 2.33% | 16.31% |
| 2016 | 58.58% | 18.56% | 2.70% | 17.16% |
| 2017 | 60.22% | 17.33% | 2.30% | 17.17% |
| 2018 | 63.18% | 12.78% | 3.10% | 18.02% |
| 2019 | 66.46% | 11.33% | 2.99% | 16.62% |
| 2020 | 64.39% | 10.53% | 2.50% | 17.32% |
| 2021 | 63.72% | 10.80% | 2.46% | 17.49% |
School bus operator wage gap by race
According to our data, asian school bus operators have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White school bus operators have the lowest average salary at $37,375.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $37,393 |
| White | $37,375 |
| Black or African American | $37,505 |
| Asian | $38,092 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $37,790 |
Average school bus operator age
See how the average age of school bus operators varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
School bus operator age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 58 | 55 |
| Unknown | 59 | 55.5 |
| Asian | 54 | 56 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 57 | 53 |
| White | 64 | 57 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 58 |
School bus operator age breakdown
The average age of school bus operators is 40+ years years old, representing 95% of the school bus operator population.
School bus operator age breakdown
| School Bus Operator Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 95% |
| 30-40 years | 5% |
| 20-30 years | 0% |
School bus operator educational attainment
The most common degree for school bus operators is high school diploma, with 32% of school bus operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 20%.
- High School Diploma, 32%
- Associate, 27%
- Bachelor's, 20%
- Diploma, 11%
- Other Degrees, 10%
School bus operators by degree level
| School bus operator degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 32% |
| Associate | 27% |
| Bachelor's | 20% |
| Diploma | 11% |
| Other Degrees | 10% |
School bus operator jobs you might like
School bus operator wage gap by degree level
According to the data, school bus operators with a High School Diploma degree earn more than those without, at $37,844 annually. With a Associate degree, school bus operators earn a median annual income of $37,700 compared to $37,362 for school bus operators with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,844 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $37,362 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $37,700 |
School bus operator employment statistics
Most school bus operators work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where school bus operators work
Below, you can see the size of companies where school bus operators work.
School bus operator jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 11% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 25% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 27% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 21% |
| > 10,000 employees | 6% |
School bus operator jobs by company type
Employees with the school bus operator job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most school bus operators prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
School bus operator jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 54% |
| Public | 3% |
| Private | 35% |
| Government | 9% |
School bus operator jobs by industry
The most common industries for school bus operators are education, transportation and government.
School bus operator industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 56% |
| Transportation | 12% |
| Government | 9% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Professional | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
School bus operator turnover and employment statistics
School bus operator unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for school bus operators between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
School bus operator unemployment rate by year
| Year | School bus operator unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.89% |
| 2011 | 5.65% |
| 2012 | 5.76% |
| 2013 | 4.98% |
| 2014 | 4.12% |
| 2015 | 3.73% |
| 2016 | 3.25% |
| 2017 | 3.45% |
| 2018 | 4.03% |
| 2019 | 2.92% |
| 2020 | 6.97% |
| 2021 | 6.83% |
Average school bus operator tenure
The average school bus operator stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 978 school bus operators resumes in Zippia's database.
School bus operator tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 15% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 15% |
School bus operator LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of school bus operators that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Operator | 1.73% | 27,441 |
| Heavy Truck Driver | 3.95% | 877,479 |
| Taxi Cab Driver | 6.17% | 155,126 |
| Tram Driver | 8.69% | 42,974 |
| School Bus Operator | 8.77% | - |
Similar school bus operator jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Operator | 1.73% | 27,441 |
| Heavy Truck Driver | 3.95% | 877,479 |
| Taxi Cab Driver | 6.17% | 155,126 |
| Tram Driver | 8.69% | 42,974 |
Foreign languages spoken by school bus operators
The most common foreign language among school bus operators is Spanish at 65.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Vietnamese at 5.0% and Somali is the third-most popular at 5.0%.
- Spanish, 65.0%
- Vietnamese, 5.0%
- Somali, 5.0%
- Japanese, 5.0%
- French, 5.0%
- Other, 15.0%
School bus operator languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 65.0% |
| Vietnamese | 5.0% |
| Somali | 5.0% |
| Japanese | 5.0% |
| French | 5.0% |
| Other | 15.0% |
