School Bus Driver job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

15

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$47,920

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Bus Drivers, School (O*NET-SOC 53-3051.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and courteous manner. importance 5.0 of 5
2. Follow safety rules as students board and exit buses or cross streets near bus stops. importance 4.9 of 5
3. 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. importance 4.9 of 5
4. Report any bus malfunctions or needed repairs. importance 4.9 of 5
5. Pick up and drop off students at regularly scheduled neighborhood locations, following strict time schedules. importance 4.8 of 5
6. Escort small children across roads and highways. importance 4.8 of 5
7. Drive gasoline, diesel, or electrically powered multi-passenger vehicles to transport students between neighborhoods, schools, and school activities. importance 4.7 of 5
8. Maintain order among students during trips to ensure safety. importance 4.6 of 5
9. Maintain knowledge of first-aid procedures. importance 4.5 of 5
10. Prepare and submit reports that may include the number of students or trips, hours worked, mileage, or fuel consumption. importance 4.5 of 5
11. Report delays, accidents, or other traffic and transportation situations, using telephones or mobile two-way radios. importance 4.3 of 5
12. Keep bus interiors clean for students. importance 4.2 of 5
13. Read maps and follow written and verbal geographic directions. importance 4.2 of 5
14. Regulate heating, lighting, and ventilation systems for student comfort. importance 4.1 of 5
15. Report delinquent student behaviors to school administration. importance 3.9 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events and Getting Information.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Make minor repairs to vehicles.

Knowledge areas: Transportation, Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, English Language and Mechanical.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Windows, AOL MapQuest, Web browser software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a school bus driver.

Most school bus drivers surveyed by O*NET (59%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: School Bus Driver
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a School Bus Driver to drive a school bus to transport students.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.
- Drive gasoline, diesel, or electrically powered multi-passenger vehicles to transport students between neighborhoods, schools, and school activities.
- Maintain order among students during trips to ensure safety.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, critical thinking and monitoring
- Working knowledge of Transportation and Public Safety and Security
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Windows or AOL MapQuest]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $47,920 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $23.04. BLS estimates about 402,930 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Bus Drivers, School to grow 0.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 56,500 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full school bus driver salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real school bus driver posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only school bus driver work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and critical thinking); school bus driver interview questions turns them into practice questions.