Special needs bus driver vs school bus aide

The differences between special needs bus drivers and school bus aides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special needs bus driver has an average salary of $37,581, which is higher than the $27,100 average annual salary of a school bus aide.

The top three skills for a special needs bus driver include safety equipment, CDL and post-trip inspections. The most important skills for a school bus aide are CPR, CDL, and seat belts.

Special needs bus driver vs school bus aide overview

	Special Needs Bus Driver	School Bus Aide
Yearly salary	$37,581	$27,100
Hourly rate	$18.07	$13.03
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	51,389	62,917
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	58	58
Years of experience	-	-

Special needs bus driver vs school bus aide salary

Special needs bus drivers and school bus aides have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Special Needs Bus Driver	School Bus Aide
Average salary	$37,581	$27,100
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $44,000	Between $22,000 And $32,000
Highest paying City	-	Providence, RI
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Buffalo Schools
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between special needs bus driver and school bus aide education

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

	Special Needs Bus Driver	School Bus Aide
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Special needs bus driver vs school bus aide demographics

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

	Special Needs Bus Driver	School Bus Aide
Average age	58	58
Gender ratio	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%	Male, 19.2% Female, 80.8%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 2.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between special needs bus driver and school bus aide duties and responsibilities

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 aide example responsibilities.

Provide CPR as needed (certify) & first aid.
Provide appropriate intervention in conflict situations according to ISS standards; notify principal or office when necessary.
Enroll in CDL training classes.

Special needs bus driver vs school bus aide skills

Common special needs bus driver skills

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

Common school bus aide skills

CPR, 29%
CDL, 20%
Seat Belts, 10%
Student Discipline, 8%
Bus Safety, 6%
Bus Stops, 4%

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Transportation Industry
Special Needs Bus Driver
Special Needs Bus Driver vs School Bus Aide

Updated January 8, 2025

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