USA Career Guide- Bus Drivers
Education & Training needed to be Bus Drivers
Bus drivers must have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and complete a short training. A driver must also meet hearing and vision requirements. In addition, they often need a high school diploma or the equivalent.
Training
Bus drivers typically go through 1 to 3 months of training. Part of the training is spent on a driving course, where drivers practice various manoeuvres with a bus.
Licenses
All bus drivers must have a commercial driver’s license (CDL). The qualifications for getting one vary by state but generally include passing both knowledge and driving tests. States have the right not to issue a license to someone who has had a CDL suspended by another state.
Pay of Bus Drivers
The median annual wage of transit and intercity bus drivers, which includes motor coach drivers, was $35,520 in May 2010.
Annual wages for transit and intercity bus drivers in the top-employing industries (May 2010)
Local government, excluding education and hospitals $43,860
Urban transit systems $30,620
Other transit and ground passenger transportation $27,780
Charter bus industry $27,310
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Bus Drivers |
Job Prospects of Bus Drivers
Employment of bus drivers is projected to grow 13 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Employment of transit and intercity drivers (including motor coach) is expected to grow 15 percent.
Job opportunities for bus drivers should be favorable, especially for school bus drivers, as many drivers leave the occupation. Those willing to work part time or irregular shifts should have the best prospects. Prospects for motor coach drivers will depend on tourism, which fluctuates with the economy.
Industrial Overview of Bus Drivers
Driving through heavy traffic or bad weather and dealing with unruly passengers can be stressful for bus drivers. Bus drivers held 647,200 jobs in 2010, and of those, about 70 percent were school or special client bus drivers.
Processing...