Last updated Oct 30, 2026 · Sources: Charleston County School District: Live 5 News (third-party news), First Student — Charleston area (N. Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Johns Island): First Student posting JR13912 (N CHARLESTON, SC), First Student — Charleston area (N. Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Johns Island): First Student posting JR15928 (MT. PLEASANT, SC), First Student — Charleston area (N. Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Johns Island): First Student posting JR15932 (JOHNS ISLAND, SC), BLS OEWS May 2025

Charleston County, SC: school bus driver pay side by side

2 employers that hire school bus drivers in Charleston County. Click a column to sort. A blank cell means the source doesn't say, and we don't guess.

Best starting pay

$23.00/hr

Charleston County School District

Lowest starting pay

$22.75/hr

First Student — Charleston area (N. Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Johns Island) ($0.25/hr less)

Highest top of scale

$34.73/hr

Charleston County School District

Employer	Start $/hr	vs county best start	vs BLS metro median	Top $/hr	Sign-on bonus	Paid CDL training	Guaranteed hours	Summer pay	Source / date
Charleston County School District District · Charleston County	$23.00	county best	+$0.66	$34.73	not stated	not stated	not stated	not stated	Live 5 News (third-party news) 2026-27 · checked 2026-10-30
First Student — Charleston area (N. Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Johns Island) Contractor · Charleston area	$22.75	−$0.25	+$0.41	$33.08	$500 permit (CLP) bonus within 7 days; $200 within 14	Yes	6 hrs/day	not stated	First Student posting JR13912 (N CHARLESTON, SC) First Student posting JR15928 (MT. PLEASANT, SC) First Student posting JR15932 (JOHNS ISLAND, SC) 2026 · checked 2026-10-30

Context: the BLS median for school bus drivers in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area is $22.34/hr (OEWS May 2025, SOC 53-3051). It covers the whole metro, not just this county. BLS source.

Rates come from different school years and postings (see each source), so treat small gaps with care. Third-party figures, such as news reports and salary sites, are labeled in the source name.

See all South Carolina districts ranked: South Carolina school bus driver pay by district.

Other South Carolina counties

Frequently asked questions

How much do school bus drivers make in Charleston County, SC?

Starting pay runs $22.75–$23.00 an hour across the 2 employers we track here, and the highest top of scale is $34.73/hr. Pay years differ by employer; each figure links to its source and the date we checked it.

Which Charleston County employer pays school bus drivers the most to start?

Charleston County School District, at $23.00/hr (2026-27). The lowest starting rate we found in the county is $22.75/hr at First Student — Charleston area (N. Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Johns Island).

Which Charleston County employers pay for CDL training?

First Student — Charleston area (N. Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Johns Island) says it offers paid CDL training. Check each employer's page for payback terms. See also paid CDL training in SC, NC and GA.