Charter bus drivers: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Charter bus drivers, sometimes called motorcoach drivers, transport passengers on chartered trips or sightseeing tours. Trip planners generally arrange their schedules and routes based on the convenience of the passengers, who are often on vacation. Motorcoach drivers are sometimes away for long periods because they usually stay with the passengers for the length of the trip. Motorcoach drivers typically do the following:
- Regulate heating, air-conditioning, and lighting, for passenger comfort
- Ensure that the trip stays on schedule
- Help passengers load and unload baggage
- Account for all passengers before leaving a location
- Act as tour guides for passengers, if necessary
- Education Required
- Most employers prefer drivers to have a high school diploma or equivalent.
- Training Required
- Bus drivers typically go through 1 to 3 months of training, but those who already possess a CDL license may have a shorter training period. Part of the training is spent on a driving course, where drivers practice various maneuvers with a bus. They then begin to drive in light traffic and eventually make practice runs on the type of route that they expect to drive. New drivers make regularly scheduled trips with passengers and are accompanied by an experienced driver who gives helpful tips, answers questions, and evaluates the new driver's performance.
- Job Outlook
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The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 6% (As fast as average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Licenses/Certifications
- All bus drivers must have a commercial drivers license (CDL). Some new bus drivers can earn their CDL during on-the-job training. 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.
- Median pay: How much do Bus Drivers make?
- $31,920 Annual Salary
- $15.35 per hour
Careers for Bus Drivers
- Charter coach drivers
- Drivers, bus
- Drivers, charter bus
- Drivers, charter coach
- Drivers, intercity bus
- Drivers, motor coach
- Drivers, motor coach tour
- Drivers, public transit
- Drivers, school bus
- Drivers, special education
- Drivers, trolley
- Intercity bus drivers
- Local transit bus drivers
- Motor coach bus drivers
- Motor coach drivers
- Motor coach tour drivers
- Public transit bus drivers
- Public transit trolley drivers
- School bus drivers
- School bus operators
- Special education bus drivers