The school bus driver shortage remains severe, and bus driver pay is getting worse

Key takeaways: 

  • Despite improving slightly in the past year, the bus driver shortage remains severe. As of September 2024, there were 12.2% fewer school bus drivers on the road than in September 2019. 
  • The key issue fueling bus driver shortages today is low pay. In 2023, the median school bus driver earned 43% less than the median weekly wage for all workers. And bus drivers’ pay is falling further behind: Weekly earnings for bus drivers have fallen 2.8% since 2019.  
  • The current bus driver shortage is a result of more than a decade of disinvestment in these workers and reflects a broader trend of underfunding public schools. School districts need adequate funding to raise pay for drivers and reverse the shortage.  

As the school year got underway in August and September, school districts throughout the country once again faced a daunting challenge: severe bus driver shortages. For instance, the St. Louis Public School District had to cobble together a transportation plan that included Metro bus rides and private cab companies after the district’s primary bus driver vendor declined to renew its contract due to insufficient pay. Meanwhile, a city in Ohio responded to the shortages by eliminating bus routes for students living within a two-mile radius of its school, forcing many elementary and middle school students to walk to class.

We documented this problem last year, describing how excessively low pay and the particularly acute health risks facing this disproportionately older workforce during the pandemic have led to massive declines in bus driver employment. Unfortunately, since last fall, the situation has hardly improved. Some aspects of the problem, such as pay for drivers, have become even more dire.

Bus driver employment grew last year, but remains woefully inadequate

Because school bus drivers tend to be significantly older than the typical U.S. worker, they are more vulnerable to the health effects of COVID-19. As such, the onset of the pandemic drove many workers to leave the profession, and school districts have struggled to replace them.

Figure A shows the sharp decline in employment during the pandemic, but also highlights how school bus driver employment continues to be far below pre-pandemic levels. The total number of school bus drivers in September 2024 (approximately 199,000) was up 3.5% relative to the same point in 2023. Yet, it was still 12.2% lower than it was in September 2019. Breaking this total into its component parts: Private school bus driver employment (those at private schools or working at private companies contracted by public school districts) declined 12.2% from 43,300 to around 38,000, and publicly employed school bus drivers (those employed directly by the state or local government) declined 11.8% from 181,200 to 159,800 over the same period.1

Figure A also shows that school bus driver employment has generally been falling for 15 years. Austerity and budget cuts beginning in the early 2010s forced many school districts to cut bus service and/or privatize bus driver employment. When the school year started in fall of 2019, there were roughly 63,000 fewer bus drivers working in elementary and secondary schools than there had been in the fall of 2009—a nearly 22% decline in the decade following the Great Recession.

Over the same period, student enrollment at public K–12 schools grew by 1.4 million. Like other public education workers, public school bus drivers are being asked to do more with less overall capacity. When fewer bus drivers must pick up more students, it means longer routes, earlier morning pick-ups, and later drop-offs. These burdensome logistics can increase the likelihood of a student missing school time and diminish their chances of participating in other activities, not to mention the additional burden they can place on parents trying to coordinate work schedules.

Figure A

School bus driver employment is still well below pre-pandemic levels: State and local government (public sector) and private-sector school bus driver employment in elementary and secondary schools, 2008–2024

 

Date All school bus drivers employment Public-sector school bus driver employment Private-sector school bus driver employment
2008-01-01 233,042   211,515   20,506 
2008-02-01  232,332   210,436   20,863 
2008-03-01  230,568   208,370   21,006 
2008-04-01  234,883   210,758   22,635 
2008-05-01  238,020   212,746   23,807 
2008-06-01  244,469   217,427   25,566 
2008-07-01  247,794   218,520   27,771 
2008-08-01  251,032   220,197   29,306 
2008-09-01  255,780   221,862   32,362 
2008-10-01  259,264   223,179   34,615 
2008-11-01  261,297   223,474   36,559 
2008-12-01  263,750   224,444   38,200 
2009-01-01  265,898   225,528   39,480 
2009-02-01  270,364   227,927   41,691 
2009-03-01  278,372   234,632   43,123 
2009-04-01  280,508   236,835   43,480 
2009-05-01  283,637   239,928   43,517 
2009-06-01  285,684   243,996   41,524 
2009-07-01  287,061   246,841   40,082 
2009-08-01  286,877   247,488   39,279 
2009-09-01  289,720   251,989   37,647 
2009-10-01  286,958   252,045   34,829 
2009-11-01  285,010   251,363   33,563 
2009-12-01  284,445   251,996   32,200 
2010-01-01  280,063   247,891   31,616 
2010-02-01  276,844   245,140   30,881 
2010-03-01  269,106   237,779   30,251 
2010-04-01  264,989   233,500   30,116 
2010-05-01  259,639   228,028   29,984 
2010-06-01  256,457   223,854   30,811 
2010-07-01  254,215   221,937   30,321 
2010-08-01  251,872   220,476   29,439 
2010-09-01  251,849   220,433   29,246 
2010-10-01  253,628   221,120   30,119 
2010-11-01  254,070   221,331   30,260 
2010-12-01  252,794   219,167   31,310 
2011-01-01  253,376   219,675   31,617 
2011-02-01  255,957   221,193   32,527 
2011-03-01  260,202   224,323   33,237 
2011-04-01  259,532   223,551   33,130 
2011-05-01  258,381   223,243   32,099 
2011-06-01  257,264   223,450   30,769 
2011-07-01  256,972   223,143   30,949 
2011-08-01  254,462   220,595   30,987 
2011-09-01  246,606   214,709   29,195 
2011-10-01  239,505   209,275   27,715 
2011-11-01  232,890   204,013   26,419 
2011-12-01  229,047   201,578   25,026 
2012-01-01  227,381   200,102   24,840 
2012-02-01  223,928   197,701   24,141 
2012-03-01  219,348   195,681   22,206 
2012-04-01  217,757   195,252   21,487 
2012-05-01  219,830   197,597   21,657 
2012-06-01  217,387   194,726   22,255 
2012-07-01  215,206   191,835   22,965 
2012-08-01  217,375   192,600   24,370 
2012-09-01  218,587   191,820   26,341 
2012-10-01  220,684   192,464   27,774 
2012-11-01  221,003   192,144   28,391 
2012-12-01  217,652   188,387   28,769 
2013-01-01  213,246   184,322   28,497 
2013-02-01  209,307   180,849   28,099 
2013-03-01  210,469   180,073   30,100 
2013-04-01  212,749   182,205   30,255 
2013-05-01  212,659   181,832   30,053 
2013-06-01  215,309   183,364   30,683 
2013-07-01  216,794   185,408   29,662 
2013-08-01  217,978   187,258   28,542 
2013-09-01  218,335   188,809   27,402 
2013-10-01  217,965   188,885   26,962 
2013-11-01  218,343   188,553   27,680 
2013-12-01  220,318   189,644   28,367 
2014-01-01  223,047   191,618   28,857 
2014-02-01  226,709   194,831   29,308 
2014-03-01  228,024   196,792   28,662 
2014-04-01  225,923   194,960   28,447 
2014-05-01  222,576   190,994   29,187 
2014-06-01  218,173   187,569   28,698 
2014-07-01  217,326   186,144   29,737 
2014-08-01  213,670   182,683   29,946 
2014-09-01  212,232   179,344   31,807 
2014-10-01  212,873   178,896   32,723 
2014-11-01  214,917   180,821   32,646 
2014-12-01  217,926   184,204   32,096 
2015-01-01  221,806   188,068   32,377 
2015-02-01  222,357   188,499   32,497 
2015-03-01  218,447   185,110   31,976 
2015-04-01  214,187   181,033   31,611 
2015-05-01  211,188   178,664   31,345 
2015-06-01  208,285   175,592   31,514 
2015-07-01  204,765   171,924   31,662 
2015-08-01  205,966   172,157   32,679 
2015-09-01  207,148   172,843   33,216 
2015-10-01  208,138   173,214   34,059 
2015-11-01  206,388   171,872   33,890 
2015-12-01  202,776   168,989   33,482 
2016-01-01  201,344   168,161   32,762 
2016-02-01  201,236   169,371   31,444 
2016-03-01  200,523   169,075   31,028 
2016-04-01  202,682   171,430   31,014 
2016-05-01  204,052   173,020   30,481 
2016-06-01  205,667   174,774   30,025 
2016-07-01  207,642   177,121   29,652 
2016-08-01  207,602   179,034   27,700 
2016-09-01  208,053   181,468   25,717 
2016-10-01  203,986   180,131   22,986 
2016-11-01  199,736   177,879   20,988 
2016-12-01  200,441   179,305   20,321 
2017-01-01  199,016   178,312   20,005 
2017-02-01  198,311   177,420   20,126 
2017-03-01  201,141   179,699   20,560 
2017-04-01  201,530   179,525   21,065 
2017-05-01  203,982   181,980   21,180 
2017-06-01  208,397   186,403   21,296 
2017-07-01  212,996   191,335   20,789 
2017-08-01  213,143   190,548   21,393 
2017-09-01  213,938   189,884   22,542 
2017-10-01  214,516   188,845   24,159 
2017-11-01  216,058   188,295   26,251 
2017-12-01  217,737   187,041   29,253 
2018-01-01  218,440   186,569   30,427 
2018-02-01  221,711   188,009   32,181 
2018-03-01  225,910   190,731   33,250 
2018-04-01  232,331   196,069   33,727 
2018-05-01  233,334   196,267   34,427 
2018-06-01  230,100   194,098   33,556 
2018-07-01  228,551   191,932   34,347 
2018-08-01  228,069   190,351   35,777 
2018-09-01  224,799   186,765   36,237 
2018-10-01  227,282   187,820   37,347 
2018-11-01  229,249   188,107   38,869 
2018-12-01  227,465   186,318   38,709 
2019-01-01  227,327   185,798   39,090 
2019-02-01  228,503   186,013   39,658 
2019-03-01  228,412   186,122   39,719 
2019-04-01  228,660   185,266   41,187 
2019-05-01  229,148   183,771   43,206 
2019-06-01  228,195   180,451   45,573 
2019-07-01  224,532   176,806   45,555 
2019-08-01  223,252   176,621   44,460 
2019-09-01  226,687   181,224   43,328 
2019-10-01  229,114   184,404   42,760 
2019-11-01  231,854   187,119   42,808 
2019-12-01  233,491   189,469   42,126 
2020-01-01  232,416   188,403   42,118 
2020-02-01  225,707   184,594   39,756 
2020-03-01  217,820   177,499   39,226 
2020-04-01  203,194   165,888   36,512 
2020-05-01  192,297   157,142   34,342 
2020-06-01  190,419   155,213   34,172 
2020-07-01  185,737   150,942   33,493 
2020-08-01  180,835   146,750   32,563 
2020-09-01  174,182   139,351   33,439 
2020-10-01  165,390   131,048   33,083 
2020-11-01  157,190   125,490   30,575 
2020-12-01  154,723   123,686   30,047 
2021-01-01  153,039   122,336   29,713 
2021-02-01  158,489   126,491   30,743 
2021-03-01  166,367   133,753   31,360 
2021-04-01  177,064   144,008   31,801 
2021-05-01  189,497   156,484   32,041 
2021-06-01  195,468   163,502   31,214 
2021-07-01  203,375   171,500   31,253 
2021-08-01  212,452   179,315   32,626 
2021-09-01  216,118   183,066   32,540 
2021-10-01  219,744   186,370   32,773 
2021-11-01  224,169   188,291   35,277 
2021-12-01  227,333   190,222   36,510 
2022-01-01  231,491   193,862   37,028 
2022-02-01  230,290   192,209   37,744 
2022-03-01  227,841   190,074   37,430 
2022-04-01  224,639   185,462   38,841 
2022-05-01  219,328   179,893   39,098 
2022-06-01  214,029   175,038   38,654 
2022-07-01  208,450   170,670   37,581 
2022-08-01  203,472   167,341   36,042 
2022-09-01  200,720   166,426   34,205 
2022-10-01  199,434   165,446   33,988 
2022-11-01  198,697   166,008   32,622 
2022-12-01  196,906   164,627   32,212 
2023-01-01  197,683   166,389   31,227 
2023-02-01  199,643   168,226   31,350 
2023-03-01  198,746   166,942   31,299 
2023-04-01  196,132   165,778   29,849 
2023-05-01  194,486   165,176   28,492 
2023-06-01  195,320   165,358   28,838 
2023-07-01  192,345   161,660   29,221 
2023-08-01  189,966   157,647   30,686 
2023-09-01  192,367   156,573   34,014 
2023-10-01  194,580   156,011   36,626 
2023-11-01  197,866   156,822   39,167 
2023-12-01  195,932   155,390   38,594 
2024-01-01  190,953   150,013   38,916 
2024-02-01  188,826   148,785   37,937 
2024-03-01  191,080   151,517   37,800 
2024-04-01  195,682   154,024   39,183 
2024-05-01  196,668   154,261   40,246 
2024-06-01  196,088   154,524   39,708 
2024-07-01  197,407   156,503   39,389 
2024-08-01  199,793   158,537   39,910 
2024-09-01  199,060   159,811   38,050 
ChartData Download data

The data below can be saved or copied directly into Excel.

Notes: 12-month rolling averages of monthly CPS employment data. Does not include school bus drivers who are self-employed or unpaid family workers. Does not include school bus drivers employed in other industries. Shaded areas denote recessions.

Source: EPI analysis of CPS microdata.

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Bus drivers are paid dismal wages, and the strong post-pandemic economy hasn’t helped

With the immediate health risks of the COVID-19 pandemic largely past, the key issue fueling bus driver staffing shortages today is low pay. School bus driver wages are far lower than most other workers, according to our analysis of Current Population Survey (CPS) microdata. In 2023, the median school bus driver earned $20.11 an hour, 20% less than the median wage for all workers in the economy ($25.21).2

Compounding the problem, the average public school bus driver works about 32 hours per week, meaning that the weekly wages for bus drivers are even lower than the hourly wage implies.3 School bus drivers often are not full-time employees and instead work a “split-shift” schedule coinciding with the beginning and end of the school day. Figure B shows that the median school bus driver earned $565 in weekly wages in 2023, approximately 43% less than the median weekly wage for all workers ($990). Just as alarming is that weekly earnings for bus drivers have actually fallen by nearly $20 a week, after adjusting for inflation, since 2019. With such low earnings, it is not surprising that bus drivers experience poverty at noticeably higher rates (6.4%) than U.S. workers overall (4.6%).

Figure B

School bus drivers earn 43% less in weekly wages than the median U.S. worker and have not seen comparable wage increases since the pandemic: Three-year averages of real weekly median wages of school bus drivers and all workers, 2017–2019 and 2021–2023

 

All workers Bus drivers in elementary and secondary schools
2017–2019  $ 943  $ 582
2021–2023  $ 990  $ 565
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Note: All wage values in 2023 dollars.

Source: EPI analysis of CPS ORG microdata.

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In the decade leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, school bus driver wages grew more slowly than typical wages throughout the overall economy. Figure C shows that real hourly wages for the median U.S. worker grew 4.1% between 2009 and 2019, while growth was only 2.4% for school bus drivers. During the same period, weekly wage growth for school bus drivers (5.2%) lagged growth in the overall median (5.7%), but more modestly. This is because school bus driver hours grew over the decade, presumably because employment decreases and student enrollment increases required more hours of work to be filled by fewer workers.

Unfortunately, since the COVID-19 pandemic and the huge losses it caused in bus driver employment, growth in bus driver hourly pay has trailed the sizable wage gains that many other lower-paying occupations have enjoyed over the last few years. After accounting for inflation, school bus driver hourly wages have grown 4.2% since 2019, compared with 4.4% growth for workers overall. As already noted, weekly earnings for bus drivers fell 2.8% since 2019, in contrast to a 5.0% increase in weekly wages for workers in the economy overall.

Figure C

Wages grew slowly for school bus drivers before the pandemic and have fallen on a weekly basis since: Percent change in real hourly and weekly wages for all workers and school bus drivers, 2009–2019 and 2019–2023

All workers School bus drivers
Weekly wage change 2009–2019 5.7% 5.2%
Weekly wage change 2019–2023 5.0% -2.8%
Hourly wage change 2009–2019 4.1% 2.4%
Hourly wage change 2019–2023 4.4% 4.2%
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Note: Percentages calculated using three-year averages for each period. 

Source: EPI analysis of CPS ORG microdata.

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School districts need adequate funding to pay drivers

School districts will need to substantially raise pay and consider other ways of making bus driver jobs more attractive in order to recruit new workers. However, the United States suffers from a chronic underfunding of public schools, and many districts across the country are facing increased pressure as pandemic-era supports from the federal government are ending this year, such as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. Stronger permanent funding, and increased wages for drivers, are needed to solve the shortage and reverse these patterns.

Improving bus driver jobs and solving staffing shortages are not only important for the welfare and success of students, but also for advancing racial and gender equity. School bus drivers are disproportionately Black and women workers, which reflects the public sector historically offering more equitable opportunities for women and people of color.

Safe, reliable school bus service is critical for students, workers, and communities

As long-term declines in funding for public schools generate a cascade of damaging consequences for students, their families, and their broader communities, it is particularly important to have services as basic as bus transportation functioning effectively. Roughly half of school children rely on bus services to get to school. Reduced and unstable bus services cause school delays, disrupt learning time, and contribute to absenteeism.

The impact of worsening public school bus systems goes beyond just the immediate effects on children. When school transportation is transformed from a public service that every family can use to a private responsibility, some families—and especially low-income families—will have a much harder time finding a workable alternative. Many may not have easy access to a vehicle, they may have other care responsibilities, or their jobs may not be flexible enough to allow them time to provide transportation for their children. Moreover, as more parents drive their children to school, everyone on the road faces increased traffic during rush hours, and this increase in car emissions harms air quality and adds to the worsening effects of climate change.

The current bus driver shortage is a result of more than a decade of disinvestment in these workers and reflects a broader trend of underfunding public schools. The unfair burden of these disruptions is most damaging to the education and well-being of the students who need it the most, particularly those from low-income families.

Notes

1. The data in Figure A are restricted to bus drivers reporting that they work in elementary and secondary schools. This classification leaves out a significant number of school bus drivers but is the only way to examine trends in school bus driver employment before 2018. Prior to 2018, there was only a single Census Occupation Classification code for bus drivers, with no differentiation between school bus drivers and other types of bus drivers. The 2018 codes added separate Census codes for school bus drivers and “transit and intercity” bus drivers. With the updated classification, we can identify that around 33% of school bus drivers do not work in the elementary and secondary school industry. In the appendix table of our blog post on this topic last year, it shows that the majority of these school bus drivers work in “bus service and urban transit.” In 2019, there were more than 106,000 school bus drivers employed in “bus service and urban transit,” around 30% of the total number of school bus drivers. Unlike school bus drivers in elementary and secondary schools, “bus service and urban transit” school bus drivers are more likely to be private-sector workers. In 2019, 83.5% of these workers were in the private sector, compared with 17.4% of school bus drivers classified in elementary and secondary schools. “Bus service and urban transit” school bus driver employment was also significantly harmed by the pandemic. From 2019 to 2021, employment for this subset of school bus drivers fell 18.7%, compared with 16.5% for all school bus drivers.

2. These are three-year averages (2021–2023) of CPS Outgoing Rotation Group microdata. Throughout this analysis, we use three-year averages when measuring wages due to relatively small bus driver sample sizes.

3. EPI analysis of Current Population Survey 2021⁠–2023 microdata.