Driving a school bus can be an ideal career for anyone, whether you’re an independent self-starter or a retiree looking for something new to keep you busy. If you have a knack for interacting with people and especially love children and working with them, you should consider this career.
Being a school bus driver can be personally rewarding. Not only do you earn and possibly enjoy benefits, but you can also positively impact the students in your care.
Like any profession, being a school bus driver can have advantages and disadvantages. There’s routine (as the bus route is the same every day), unruly kids, traffic jams, or inclement weather that you may face. But if you’re up to the challenges, this job can be enjoyable.
Opportunity to work with children
If you love children, you don’t have to be a schoolteacher or a daycare worker to be able to work with them. Driving a school bus is another option that allows you to work with kids.
Children can be giant balls of energy, making bus rides fun and enjoyable, never dull, and always filled with adventure. But kids can be impulsive and unpredictable, depending on their way home. Fighting, naughty behavior, and bullying among schoolchildren can sometimes be a big headache. Even pranks and celebrations can get out of hand. As a bus driver, you must constantly be on your toes to ensure they behave correctly. Interacting with these young passengers can bring a lot of happiness into your life, show you different perspectives of life, and perhaps even help you channel your inner child.
No formal education needed (& training provided!)
Driving a school bus is one of those few professions that do not require a four-year college degree. No matter what you’ve finished in school, you will still receive minimal on-the-job training upon being hired. The training is usually a combination of in-classroom and in-bus training.
During training, drivers learn a wide range of topics, including driving and safety rules outlined by the US Department of Transportation and basic first aid and CPR.
The driving courses train drivers in turning, reversing, and parking the bus.
Although you are not required to have a degree to be a school bus driver, you must have a clean driving record and a commercial driver’s license (CDL). They may also have to undergo a background check.
Salary and benefits
Driving a school bus can be a good-paying job. As of 2020, the average annual salary for part-time school bus drivers is $38,020. While driving a school bus pays a relatively low salary compared to the other bus drivers (such as transit bus drivers, who earn slightly higher but also work longer hours), it offers many benefits. They include time offs when the kids are not in school, paid holidays, split shifts (with long midday breaks), medical and dental benefits, life plans, and retirement plans.
Time off
Another benefit of being a school bus driver is time off after the school year ends. Since school bus driving is usually seasonal, bus drivers employed by the school district can also enjoy weekends, holidays, spring breaks, and summers off. As a result of extended time-off, bus drivers can relax and find more leisure time, be with their own families, get a side job, study short courses, or start a business.
All in all, driving a school bus is a gratifying profession and calling. For many people, the advantages of this job easily outweigh the disadvantages, making it worth it. This article provides additional information about the pros and cons of being a PA school bus driver.
If you decide being a school bus driver is something you’d like to pursue, visit https://schoolbushero.com/jobs to see what is available