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North Carolina school bus driver pay & requirements
About 12,390 school bus drivers work in North Carolina. The middle (median) driver earns $18.01/hr ($37,460/yr), according to the BLS.
Pay range statewide (BLS, May 2025)
| Bottom 10% | 25% | Median | 75% | Top 10% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $15.51 | $17.01 | $18.01 | $21.38 | $22.58 |
| Yearly | $32,270 | $35,370 | $37,460 | $44,480 | $46,960 |
Compare by county
Guilford County, NC2 employersDurham County, NC1 employerMecklenburg County, NC1 employerUnion County, NC1 employerWake County, NC1 employer
Employers in North Carolina
| Employer | Start $/hr | Top $/hr | Sign-on bonus | Paid CDL training | Guaranteed hours | Summer pay | Pay year / notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), NC · Mecklenburg County · District |
$20.04 | not stated | not stated | Yes | not stated | not stated | 2026-27 "Paid Training Available." Hiring at 18+. | CMS Become a Driver page checked 2026-10-30 |
| Wake County Public Schools Wake County (Raleigh), NC · Wake County · District |
$20.00 | not stated | $1,200 sign-on + up to $4,000/yr attendance & retention bonuses | Yes | not stated Up to 4 hrs AM + 4 hrs PM; must be available 30 hrs/week | not stated | 2026-27 "We'll pay for your CDL license." | WCPSS bus driver careers page checked 2026-10-30 |
| Union County Public Schools Union County (Monroe), NC · Union County · District |
$20.00 | not stated | not stated | Yes | not stated | not stated | 2026-27 Starting rate $20.00/hr; paid training for driver trainees; separate recruitment bonus program for referrals. | UCPS We Are Hiring page checked 2026-10-30 |
| First Student — Greensboro Guilford County (Greensboro), NC · Guilford County · Contractor |
$20.00 | not stated | not stated | not stated | 4 hrs/day CDL required for this posting | not stated | 2026 | First Student posting JR14229 checked 2026-10-30 |
| Guilford County Schools Guilford County (Greensboro), NC · Guilford County · District |
$16.38 | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated 10-month, full-time | not stated | 2026-27 Paid on classified grade 62. | LinkedIn copy of district posting (third-party) GCS compensation page checked 2026-10-30 |
| KIPP Durham (charter) Durham, NC · Durham County · Charter school |
$21.00 | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | 2026-27 CDL required. | KIPP NC career board posting checked 2026-10-30 |
Pay by metro area (BLS)
| Area | Drivers | Median $/hr | Bottom 10% | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville, NC | 260 | $18.57 | $13.21 | $22.69 |
| Burlington, NC | 70 | $17.78 | $16.07 | $21.38 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 3970 | $22.12 | $16.98 | $24.03 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 500 | $19.54 | $17.52 | $23.92 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 450 | $16.85 | $12.89 | $21.98 |
| Goldsboro, NC | 130 | $16.92 | $15.04 | $19.63 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 1030 | $17.92 | $16.95 | $23.21 |
| Greenville, NC | 190 | $17.55 | $16.56 | $18.75 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 250 | $17.77 | $16.16 | $18.25 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 60 | $17.21 | $15.86 | $21.21 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 2120 | $18.52 | $13.93 | $22.98 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 270 | $19.52 | $13.67 | $19.52 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 2390 | $24.13 | $19.46 | $29.91 |
| Wilmington, NC | 140 | $17.54 | $13.38 | $20.92 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 630 | $17.70 | $16.22 | $21.22 |
| Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 990 | $17.26 | $15.31 | $21.21 |
| Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 840 | $16.98 | $15.93 | $17.66 |
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 750 | $16.91 | $15.83 | $22.44 |
How to become a school bus driver in North Carolina
- Minimum age 18, with at least 6 months of driving experience on a full license.
- You must be sponsored by a school transportation provider (a district or charter) to take school bus training.
- You need a CDL with P and S endorsements and an NCDMV School Bus Driver's Certificate: NCDMV-approved training, knowledge tests (80%), then pre-trip, backing and road skills tests.
- The certificate renews every 3 years.
Federal rules that apply in every state
- Since Feb 7, 2022, anyone getting a P (passenger) or S (school bus) endorsement for the first time must finish Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) from a provider on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry before the skills test.
- ELDT has two parts: online/classroom theory (80% passing score on the assessment) and behind-the-wheel training. S-endorsement training must use a representative school bus.
- There is no federal minimum number of hours; the provider certifies you are proficient.
- Use FMCSA's Find a Provider search, filtered to your state and "School Bus," to find a registered trainer.
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