Bus Drivers, School — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$47,920
United States, 2025
Employment
402,930
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Drive a school bus to transport students. Ensure adherence to safety rules. May assist students in boarding or exiting.
- O*NET code
- 53-3051.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Record bus routes.
- Keep bus interiors clean for students.
- Comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and courteous manner.
- Follow safety rules as students board and exit buses or cross streets near bus stops.
- Check the condition of a vehicle's tires, brakes, windshield wipers, lights, oil, fuel, water, and safety equipment to ensure that everything is in working order.
- Report any bus malfunctions or needed repairs.
- Pick up and drop off students at regularly scheduled neighborhood locations, following strict time schedules.
- Escort small children across roads and highways.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$29,240
25th percentile
$38,650
75th percentile
$58,430
90th percentile
$65,730
Most important skills
- Monitoring3.4
- Critical Thinking3.4
- Active Listening3.4
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Operations Monitoring3.1
- Speaking3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Time Management2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Operation and Control2.9
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 9 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
9
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.4 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.4 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.1 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | 2.6 | Not selected | 2.6 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 2.6 | Not selected | 2.6 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $60,600
Compare with Bus Drivers, SchoolSupplemental
National median $68,840
Compare with Bus Drivers, SchoolSupplemental
National median $58,640
Compare with Bus Drivers, SchoolHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $75,230 | 610 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $73,680 | 2,350 | 2025 |
| Mount Vernon, WA | $72,070 | 200 | 2025 |
| Bellingham, WA | $69,640 | 300 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $67,430 | 70 | 2025 |
| Bremerton, WA | $66,880 | 330 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $66,380 | 4,070 | 2025 |
| Springfield, MA | $65,730 | 770 | 2025 |
| Worcester, MA | $65,640 | 1,270 | 2025 |
| MA | $65,170 | 9,330 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $65,170 | 6,470 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $63,710 | 1,760 | 2025 |
| Trenton, NJ | $63,400 | 720 | 2025 |
| WA | $63,370 | 9,660 | 2025 |
| Modesto, CA | $62,870 | 190 | 2025 |
| El Centro, CA | $62,610 | 60 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $62,390 | 140 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $62,190 | 2,850 | 2025 |
| New Haven, CT | $62,160 | 1,460 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $61,900 | 2,980 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Bus Drivers, School to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.