Bus Drivers, School
Also called: Public School Bus Driver, School Bus Driver, SPED Bus Driver (Special Education Bus Driver), Student DriverDrive a school bus to transport students. Ensure adherence to safety rules. May assist students in boarding or exiting.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 6 of its 17 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 0.7% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.0% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 51% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $17,630 | $17,040 to $18,750 | 10,410 |
| Alaska | $54,200 | $47,430 to $54,750 | 790 |
| Arizona | $46,050 | $40,380 to $48,100 | 5,020 |
| Arkansas | $45,500 | $29,980 to $54,170 | 4,340 |
| California | $61,040 | $51,110 to $70,570 | 16,600 |
| Colorado | $52,620 | $47,120 to $60,950 | 3,840 |
| Connecticut | $61,520 | $47,490 to $63,110 | 7,970 |
| Delaware | $42,390 | $37,890 to $48,480 | 1,350 |
| District of Columbia | $55,450 | $53,510 to $55,470 | 510 |
| Florida | $44,690 | $38,600 to $47,900 | 13,470 |
| Georgia | $44,950 | $27,570 to $50,490 | 16,880 |
| Guam | $41,720 | $35,040 to $44,410 | 110 |
| Hawaii | $59,090 | $48,490 to $64,480 | 630 |
| Idaho | $46,250 | $41,110 to $48,670 | 2,960 |
| Illinois | $49,090 | $46,470 to $59,110 | 21,230 |
| Indiana | $48,020 | $36,270 to $56,470 | 11,780 |
| Iowa | $46,320 | $39,330 to $56,070 | 4,840 |
| Kansas | $45,860 | $37,860 to $48,370 | 4,830 |
| Kentucky | $44,830 | $38,530 to $48,310 | 6,820 |
| Louisiana | $29,450 | $23,110 to $46,210 | 6,670 |
| Maine | $48,640 | $42,450 to $52,660 | 1,670 |
| Maryland | $56,450 | $47,190 to $60,610 | 9,020 |
| Massachusetts | $65,170 | $54,780 to $69,320 | 9,330 |
| Michigan | $46,380 | $42,100 to $48,630 | 8,780 |
| Minnesota | $48,940 | $38,800 to $55,930 | 13,110 |
| Mississippi | $30,640 | $22,350 to $39,320 | 3,790 |
| Missouri | $46,880 | $39,430 to $51,220 | 8,970 |
| Montana | $46,220 | $39,840 to $48,620 | 1,630 |
| Nebraska | $47,760 | $39,550 to $56,370 | 2,330 |
| Nevada | $37,280 | $37,280 to $46,110 | 2,590 |
| New Hampshire | $50,990 | $48,470 to $57,870 | 2,040 |
| New Jersey | $59,430 | $51,160 to $65,240 | 13,670 |
| New Mexico | $45,470 | $37,990 to $56,170 | 1,870 |
| New York | $56,640 | $49,320 to $62,550 | 38,320 |
| North Carolina | $37,460 | $35,370 to $44,480 | 12,390 |
| North Dakota | $50,790 | $46,840 to $62,610 | 1,530 |
| Ohio | $45,860 | $35,160 to $47,670 | 5,540 |
| Oklahoma | $36,920 | $30,510 to $44,240 | 3,710 |
| Oregon | $51,270 | $48,350 to $61,840 | 5,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,530 | $39,630 to $55,630 | 23,670 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,950 | $22,910 to $30,960 | 1,280 |
| Rhode Island | $58,700 | $48,640 to $62,010 | 1,800 |
| South Carolina | $39,900 | $30,070 to $46,700 | 5,900 |
| South Dakota | $39,730 | $36,980 to $46,340 | 1,290 |
| Tennessee | $44,510 | $27,650 to $51,150 | 7,050 |
| Texas | $44,490 | $31,330 to $49,030 | 37,550 |
| Utah | $52,890 | $48,950 to $61,250 | 1,920 |
| Vermont | $56,580 | $46,660 to $57,560 | 860 |
| Virgin Islands | $40,120 | $38,390 to $50,860 | 50 |
| Virginia | $50,190 | $46,340 to $59,700 | 12,930 |
| Washington | $63,370 | $56,640 to $70,890 | 9,660 |
| West Virginia | $33,360 | $30,760 to $35,290 | 4,690 |
| Wisconsin | $47,760 | $45,950 to $55,010 | 7,840 |
| Wyoming | $45,520 | $41,980 to $48,220 | 1,360 |
Nationally: $47,920. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 6 of its 17 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and courteous manner. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Follow safety rules as students board and exit buses or cross streets near bus stops. | Not published |
| AI + software | Report any bus malfunctions or needed repairs. | Not published |
| Not much | Drive gasoline, diesel, or electrically powered multi-passenger vehicles to transport students between neighborhoods, schools, and school activities. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain order among students during trips to ensure safety. | Not published |
See all 17 tasks
| Not much | Pick up and drop off students at regularly scheduled neighborhood locations, following strict time schedules. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare and submit reports that may include the number of students or trips, hours worked, mileage, or fuel consumption. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain knowledge of first-aid procedures. | Not published |
| AI + software | Report delays, accidents, or other traffic and transportation situations, using telephones or mobile two-way radios. | Not published |
| Not much | Keep bus interiors clean for students. | Not published |
| Not much | Regulate heating, lighting, and ventilation systems for student comfort. | Not published |
| AI + software | Read maps and follow written and verbal geographic directions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Report delinquent student behaviors to school administration. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record bus routes. | Not published |
| Not much | Escort small children across roads and highways. | Not published |
| Not much | Make minor repairs to vehicles. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 17 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 17 tasks fall under 12 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #19 Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Maintain safety or security |
Show all 12 activities
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain vehicles in working condition | |||
| Inspect vehicles |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for bus drivers, school specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 17,323 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 9%
- 2 Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Moderate +4.1% 5%
- 3 Light Truck Drivers Moderate +6.3% 5%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 26,004 moves in
- 1 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Low +2.2% 5%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 3 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 4%
- 4 Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Moderate +4.1% 4%
- 5 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
The resume data uses 2010 occupation codes. This occupation comes from “Bus Drivers, School or Special Client”, which today also includes “Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs”, so these figures cover it too. Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 37% less than high school
- 59% high school
- 3% postsecondary certificate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 20 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 8% less than high school
- 43% high school
- 27% some college
- 11% associate's
- 9% bachelor's
- 2% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 2,944 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>99.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 96.9% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 0.9% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | 1.1% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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