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South Carolina school bus driver pay & requirements
About 5,900 school bus drivers work in South Carolina. The middle (median) driver earns $19.18/hr ($39,900/yr), according to the BLS.
Pay range statewide (BLS, May 2025)
| Bottom 10% | 25% | Median | 75% | Top 10% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $11.37 | $14.46 | $19.18 | $22.45 | $27.48 |
| Yearly | $23,640 | $30,070 | $39,900 | $46,700 | $57,150 |
Compare by county
Spartanburg County, SC4 employersYork County, SC4 employersCharleston County, SC2 employersLexington County, SC2 employersRichland County, SC2 employersGreenville County, SC1 employer
Employers in South Carolina
| Employer | Start $/hr | Top $/hr | Sign-on bonus | Paid CDL training | Guaranteed hours | Summer pay | Pay year / notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Mill School District 4 York County (Fort Mill), SC · York County · District |
$22.70 | $39.60 | not stated | Yes | not stated Shifts 6–9 AM and 1:45–4:45 PM; 180 contract days | Year-round pay advertised | 2026-27 Paid training once you are eligible to drive. | 2026-27 salary schedule Now hiring page checked 2026-10-30 |
| Rock Hill Schools York County (Rock Hill), SC · York County · District |
$20.29 | $32.85 | not stated | Yes | not stated | not stated | 2025-26 "Free CDL training." Steps require 152+ days of driving per year. | FY2025-26 salary schedule Drive With Us page checked 2026-10-30 |
| Clover School District York County (Clover), SC · York County · District |
$18.00 | $32.80 | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | 2022-23 (latest posted) Latest scale we found is dated 11/11/2022 — likely out of date. | Bus driver salary scale (2022-23) checked 2026-10-30 |
| York School District One York County (York), SC · York County · District |
$19.99 | $32.46 | not stated | not stated | not stated 182 days | not stated | 2025-26 | 2025-26 salary schedule checked 2026-10-30 |
| Greenville County Schools Greenville County, SC · Greenville County · District |
$23.41 | $25.90 | not stated | not stated | not stated Full-time = 30+ hrs/week | not stated | 2026-27 Range as reported for an Oct 2026 job fair. | Greenville.com job fair article (third-party news) checked 2026-10-30 |
| Charleston County School District Charleston County, SC · Charleston County · District |
$23.00 | $34.73 | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | 2026-27 Figures quoted by a district official in Aug 2026 news; top rate after 7 years. | Live 5 News (third-party news) checked 2026-10-30 |
| Richland School District Two Richland County (Columbia NE), SC · Richland County · District |
not stated | not stated | $1,500 sign-on | not stated | not stated | not stated | 2026-27 Bonus offered to fill bus driver vacancies (July 2026 news). | WIS-TV (third-party news) checked 2026-10-30 |
| Richland School District One Richland County (Columbia), SC · Richland County · District |
not stated | not stated | not stated | Yes | 30 hrs/week | not stated | 2026-27 Paid training at $20.16/hr; driver rate not posted on the page. | Career opportunities page checked 2026-10-30 |
| Lexington County School District One Lexington County, SC · Lexington County · District |
$20.47 | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | 2025-26 | FY2025-26 bus driver salary schedule checked 2026-10-30 |
| First Student — Charleston area (N. Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Johns Island) Charleston area, SC · Charleston County · Contractor |
$22.75 | $33.08 | $500 permit (CLP) bonus within 7 days; $200 within 14 | Yes | 6 hrs/day | not stated | 2026 | First Student posting JR13912 (N CHARLESTON, SC) First Student posting JR15928 (MT. PLEASANT, SC) First Student posting JR15932 (JOHNS ISLAND, SC) checked 2026-10-30 |
| Lexington-Richland School District Five Lexington & Richland Counties (Irmo/Chapin), SC · Lexington County · District |
$18.22 | $28.19 | not stated | Yes | not stated 180 days | not stated | 2026-27 Spans Lexington and Richland counties. "Training Provided." | District Five job board checked 2026-10-30 |
| Spartanburg School District One Spartanburg County (Campobello/Inman), SC · Spartanburg County · District |
$18.79 | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | 2026 Pay "commensurate with experience"; full- or part-time. | District One posting (School Bus Driver 2026) checked 2026-10-30 |
| Spartanburg County School District Two Spartanburg County (Chesnee/Boiling Springs), SC · Spartanburg County · District |
$18.86 | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | 2026-27 Credit for experience. | "Drive for D2" district article (July 22, 2026) checked 2026-10-30 |
| Spartanburg School District Five Spartanburg County (Duncan/Wellford), SC · Spartanburg County · District |
$19.82 | $30.75 | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | 2026-27 From a third-party copy of the district schedule. | SalarySchedule.org copy of FY2026-27 bus driver schedule (third-party) checked 2026-10-30 |
| Spartanburg School District Six Spartanburg County (Roebuck/Dorman), SC · Spartanburg County · District |
$20.04 | $30.72 | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | posting (start date 08/26/2025, rate updated) | District Six bus driver posting checked 2026-10-30 |
Pay by metro area (BLS)
| Area | Drivers | Median $/hr | Bottom 10% | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 460 | $10.20 | $7.93 | $17.82 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 950 | $22.34 | $17.95 | $28.77 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 3970 | $22.12 | $16.98 | $24.03 |
| Columbia, SC | 990 | $17.77 | $13.84 | $27.48 |
| Florence, SC | 310 | $17.05 | $10.40 | $25.06 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | not stated | $21.13 | $14.60 | $24.04 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | 140 | $15.22 | $9.36 | $18.60 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | 350 | $14.46 | $11.76 | $17.91 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 370 | $21.94 | $15.79 | $27.72 |
| Northwestern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 360 | $18.08 | $8.83 | $23.17 |
| Southern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 240 | $11.73 | $9.11 | $17.19 |
| Northeastern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 370 | $13.59 | $8.34 | $19.17 |
How to become a school bus driver in South Carolina
- You need a CDL (usually Class B) with P and S endorsements, plus a South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) School Bus Driver's Certificate.
- The SCDE certificate requires the state driver training course (classroom + road), a DOT medical exam, the SCDE physical performance test, and background/drug checks. This also applies to contractor drivers carrying public students.
- Certificates are suspended for more than 4 points on your driving record after certification; a DUI conviction revokes it.
- SCDE publishes a statewide guide pay scale for state-owned buses: $11.88/hr (0 years) to $17.48/hr (22+ years) for 2025-26. Most districts pay well above it with local money.
- One year of experience = at least 152 days as an SCDE-certified driver in a school year.
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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