Prevailing Wage for Bus Drivers, School
Prevailing wage floors for Bus Drivers, School under SOC 53-3051 are set by DOL and apply to sponsored positions held by school bus drivers, CDL bus drivers, and public school bus drivers across the country. DOL publishes four experience-based wage levels, and the floor for each level shifts considerably depending on the worksite city.
See all jobs for Bus Drivers, SchoolLook up your work address
Level 1 covers entry-level school bus drivers with limited experience, typically performing routes under close supervision with little independent judgment. Employers filing at this level expect the worker to be learning standard safety procedures and route management on the job.
Level 2 applies to qualified school bus drivers who handle routes independently and follow established safety protocols without close supervision. This is the most common filing level for Bus Drivers, School, reflecting the typical experience profile of candidates seeking sponsored positions.
Level 3 is for experienced drivers who regularly exercise independent judgment, may assist in training newer drivers, and handle more complex or non-standard routes. Candidates with several years of verified CDL bus driving experience and a clean safety record typically fall here.
Level 4 applies to fully competent drivers in lead or coordinating roles, such as a bus drive coordinator overseeing scheduling, compliance, or fleet safety. These positions carry supervisory or programmatic responsibility beyond standard route operation.
Prevailing Wage for Bus Drivers, School by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
See all jobs for Bus Drivers, School
See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Bus Drivers, School and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Bus Drivers, School
Confirm your CDL classification before filing
School bus driver positions under SOC 53-3051 require a commercial driver's license with a school bus endorsement. If your offer letter lists a CDL-B requirement, verify the wage level filed matches your endorsement tier and years of verifiable school bus experience, not general commercial driving.
Watch for part-time hours in wage calculations
Many school bus driver positions are structurally part-time, covering morning and afternoon routes only. For sponsored roles, the annualized prevailing wage must be met based on actual hours worked, so a split-shift offer may fall below the floor even when the hourly rate looks adequate.
Compare metro floors before accepting a district offer
Wage floors for school van drivers and CDL bus drivers vary sharply by metro. Washington state markets such as Bremerton and Mount Vernon post Level 1 floors well above Alabama markets like Gadsden. If you have flexibility on location, comparing worksite metros before accepting can meaningfully affect your floor threshold.
Use Migrate Mate to find districts with sponsorship history
Public school districts that have previously sponsored school bus drivers are rare. Migrate Mate shows which employers have an actual H-1B or green card sponsorship record for this occupation, so you can focus outreach on districts that have navigated the process before rather than educating a first-time sponsor.
Jobs for Bus Drivers, School are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Bus Drivers, SchoolPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 53-3051.00 alongside Bus Drivers, School, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Bus Drive Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Bus Drive Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Bus Drive Coordinator positions fall under SOC 53-3051.00 (Bus Drivers, School). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Bus Driver for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-3051.00 (Bus Drivers, School). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
CDL Bus Driver (Commercial Driver's License Bus Driver) Prevailing Wage
CDL Bus Driver (Commercial Driver's License Bus Driver) Prevailing Wage
CDL Bus Driver (Commercial Driver's License Bus Driver) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-3051.00 (Bus Drivers, School). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Public School Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
Public School Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
Public School Bus Driver positions fall under SOC 53-3051.00 (Bus Drivers, School). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
School Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
School Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a School Bus Driver for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-3051.00 (Bus Drivers, School). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
School Van Driver Prevailing Wage
School Van Driver Prevailing Wage
School Van Driver is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-3051.00 (Bus Drivers, School). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Shuttle Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
Shuttle Bus Driver Prevailing Wage
Shuttle Bus Driver positions fall under SOC 53-3051.00 (Bus Drivers, School). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
SPED Bus Driver (Special Education Bus Driver) Prevailing Wage
SPED Bus Driver (Special Education Bus Driver) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a SPED Bus Driver (Special Education Bus Driver) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-3051.00 (Bus Drivers, School). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
SPED School Bus Driver (Special Education School Bus Driver) Prevailing Wage
SPED School Bus Driver (Special Education School Bus Driver) Prevailing Wage
SPED School Bus Driver (Special Education School Bus Driver) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-3051.00 (Bus Drivers, School). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Student Driver Prevailing Wage
Student Driver Prevailing Wage
Student Driver positions fall under SOC 53-3051.00 (Bus Drivers, School). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Bus Drivers, School?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through regional employer surveys. For SOC 53-3051, OFLC assigns a wage to each metropolitan or nonmetropolitan area based on that area's actual reported wages for the occupation, then divides the distribution into four levels corresponding to entry through fully competent experience.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect experience and independence on the job. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision. Level 2 is qualified and working independently, the most common filing level for this occupation. Level 3 reflects several years of experience and some lead responsibilities. Level 4 covers coordinating or supervisory roles. Your employer determines the level when filing the Labor Condition Application, and it must honestly reflect the actual job duties and your background.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same school bus driver role differ so much from city to city?
OFLC uses regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so each metro area produces its own wage distribution for SOC 53-3051 based on what local employers actually pay. A school district in a high-cost Pacific Northwest metro sits in a different survey pool than one in rural Alabama. The worksite address on the Labor Condition Application determines which metro floor applies, which is why two identical offers in different cities can carry very different compliance floors.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
For H-1B and other sponsored visa categories, the employer must certify on the Labor Condition Application that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite location and wage level. If the offer falls short, USCIS can deny the petition or OFLC can reject the LCA. The employer is generally responsible for correcting the wage before filing, and underpayment after approval can trigger DOL back-wage liability.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Bus Drivers, School in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool on the DOL website to look up SOC 53-3051 for any metropolitan or nonmetropolitan area. Enter the occupation code and select the worksite area to see the current Level 1 through Level 4 floors. For identifying which employers have actually sponsored this role in specific markets, Migrate Mate lets you filter by occupation and location to see companies with a verified sponsorship track record.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Bus Drivers, School right now.
Search Jobs for Bus Drivers, School