School Bus Driver
Advanced Career Institute · Visalia, CA
- Cost
- $8,013
- Length
- 10 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- 92%
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 29
Small group — treat with caution
- Finished the program
- 90%Based on 21 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- 92%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $9,000A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Where California publishes a separate figure for Visalia MSA (Tulare County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Bus Drivers, School
Job ads may call this: Bus Driver · Student Driver · School Bus Driver · School Van Driver
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and courteous manner.
- Check the condition of a vehicle's tires, brakes, windshield wipers, lights, oil, fuel, water, and safety equipment to ensure that everything is in working order.
- Follow safety rules as students board and exit buses or cross streets near bus stops.
- Report any bus malfunctions or needed repairs.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Pick up and drop off students at regularly scheduled neighborhood locations, following strict time schedules.
- Escort small children across roads and highways.
- Drive gasoline, diesel, or electrically powered multi-passenger vehicles to transport students between neighborhoods, schools, and school activities.
- Maintain order among students during trips to ensure safety.
- Typical pay in California
- $62,376per yearVisalia MSA: $56,183
- Projected openings
- 26,030Visalia MSA: 300
- Projected change
- +3.1%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- Under a month
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: High school diploma — 43% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 8% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 8%
- High school diploma
- 43%
- Started college, no degree
- 27%
- Two-year degree
- 10%
- Four-year degree
- 10%
- Master's degree
- 2%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.6%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Bus Driver · Bus Operator · Coach Operator · Transit Driver
- Drive vehicles over specified routes or to specified destinations according to time schedules, complying with traffic regulations to ensure that passengers have a smooth and safe ride.
- Inspect vehicles and check gas, oil, and water levels prior to departure.
- Park vehicles at loading areas so that passengers can board.
- Announce stops to passengers.
- Assist passengers, such as elderly or individuals with disabilities, on and off bus, ensure they are seated properly, help carry baggage, and answer questions about bus schedules or routes.
- Typical pay in California
- $68,599per year
- Projected openings
- 33,100
- Projected change
- +8.8%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
California publishes no separate figure for this job in Visalia MSA. The statewide figures above are the only ones there are.
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: High school diploma — 42% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 9% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 9%
- High school diploma
- 42%
- Started college, no degree
- 27%
- Two-year degree
- 10%
- Four-year degree
- 9%
- Master's degree
- 2%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.5%
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
This program is designed to introduce the students to the procedures and skills found in the school bus driving industry while preparing each individual to obtain a commercial bus driver license with school bus certification and endorsements. Students will develop the skills necessary to operate a commercial vehicle safely. Each course consists of classroom, lab, range and on the road experience to ensure the best possible training. The program covers topics in basic operations, safe operating practices, advanced operating practices, vehicle maintenance, and non-vehicle activities. This program will prepare individuals to test for licensure at CHP and exceeds the minimum hourly training requirements by the State of California and the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
A comprehensive center is where all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. California's Employment Development Department directs people to CareerOneStop's finder to locate one. Contacting a center before traveling is worth it — the state notes that its own staff are not physically present at every location.
The rule: 20 CFR 678.305 — What is a comprehensive one-stop center? · 20 CFR 678.310 — What is an affiliated site? · California EDD — Office Locator
Tulare County Employment Connection - VisaliaComprehensive center
Phone: 559-713-5000
4025 West Noble AvenueEmployment Connection Suite BVisalia, CA 93277about 5.7 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am-5:00pm (Closed on Holidays)
Has a veterans' representative
Tulare County Employment Connection - DinubaAffiliate site
Phone: 559-406-1001 or 559-591-5701
400 West Tulare StreetPrroteus Suite CDinuba, CA 93618about 9.6 miles away
Hours: Mon - Fri 8am- 5pm
Tulare County Employment Connection - TulareAffiliate site
Phone: 559-684-1987
155 N. K StreetTulare, CA 93274about 13.3 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →