School bus driver pay in California, by district, and how to get certified (2026–27)
Updated 2026-11-05
The typical California district pays school bus drivers about $24.47 to $30.98 an hour this school year. The highest posted pay right now is at Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District ($29.71–$46.14/hr), Santa Clara Unified School District ($36.06–$45.99/hr) and Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District ($33.70–$45.16/hr). 244 driver jobs are open today at 200 districts and schools, and many of them will train you.
The tables below cover 220 districts and schools, from 375 postings since July 1, and they update every day.
What you need to drive a school bus in California
Two things, and districts help with both:
- A commercial driver's license (Class B) with the passenger (P) and school bus (S) endorsements from the DMV, plus a DOT medical certificate.
- A California school bus driver certificate from the CHP. Getting it takes an original training course of at least 20 hours in the classroom and at least 20 hours behind the wheel, written tests and a driving test with the CHP, a first aid certificate (or the CHP's first aid exam), and a fingerprint check. The certificate has to be renewed, with refresher training each year.
The training is the expensive part, and it's where districts compete for drivers: a lot of postings say the district provides the training, and some pay you a trainee rate while you do it. If a posting says "will train," that's what it means.
The hours
School bus driving is a split shift: a morning run and an afternoon run, with a gap in between. Postings list the total, often 5 to 7 hours a day, and some districts fill the gap with midday routes, field trips or custodial work to make a full day. Drivers who also cover athletic trips and field trips pick up extra hours. Most of these jobs follow the school calendar.
Want to hear when a district near you posts a bus driver job, including the ones that train you? Free, once a day, or within minutes with Plus.
Bus driver pay by district
Highest posted pay
| District or school | County | Posted pay |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District | Humboldt County | $29.71–$46.14/hr |
| Santa Clara Unified School District | Santa Clara County | $36.06–$45.99/hr |
| Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District | Santa Clara County | $33.70–$45.16/hr |
| San Mateo Union High School District | San Mateo County | $37.04–$45.02/hr |
| Sequoia Union High School District | San Mateo County | $37.13–$45/hr |
| Washington Unified School District - W. Sacramento | Yolo County | $28.75–$44.45/hr |
| Ravenswood City Elementary | San Mateo County | $32.83–$44.04/hr |
| Calaveras Unified School District | Calaveras County | $26.70–$41.12/hr |
| Mountain View Whisman School District | Santa Clara County | $30.66–$41.11/hr |
| Palo Alto Unified School District | Santa Clara County | $31.81–$40.57/hr |
By county
Pick your county to see every district and school in it. "Typical" is the middle district: half post more, half less.
Alameda County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Alameda Unified School District | $21.01–$25.51/hr |
| Albany Unified School District | $21.28–$30.08/hr |
| Berkeley Unified School District | $31.15–$37.95/hr |
| Castro Valley Unified School District | $35.96–$39.65/hr |
| Fremont Unified School District | $28.61–$39.53/hr |
| New Haven Unified School District | $24.49/hr |
| Pleasanton Unified School District | $28.77/hr |
Butte County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Chico Unified School District | $22.33–$37.29/hr |
| Durham Unified | $20.55–$26.08/hr |
| Palermo Union Elementary | $22.72–$31.52/hr |
| Paradise Unified | $23.03–$30.67/hr |
Calaveras County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Bret Harte Union High School District | $22.01–$25.33/hr |
| Calaveras Unified School District | $26.70–$41.12/hr |
Contra Costa County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Antioch Unified School District | $19.44–$36.94/hr |
| Liberty Union High School District | $18.55–$31.99/hr |
| Mt. Diablo Unified | $28.72–$34.92/hr |
| Pittsburg Unified School District | $27.93–$33.96/hr |
| San Ramon Valley Unified School District | $26.97–$39.86/hr |
Del Norte County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Del Norte County Unified School District and COE | $23.08–$26.23/hr |
El Dorado County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| El Dorado County Office of Education | $20.96–$27.28/hr |
| El Dorado Union High School District | $25.40–$34.83/hr |
| Lake Tahoe Unified School District | $24.54–$31.31/hr |
| Pollock Pines Elementary School District | $23.65–$34.50/hr |
| Rescue Union School District | $24.68–$28.57/hr |
Fresno County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Central Unified School District | $26.49–$32.26/hr |
| Coalinga-Huron Unified School District | $26.70/hr |
| Kings Canyon Unified School District | $24.20–$25.83/hr |
| Parlier Unified School District | $30.66–$35.31/hr |
| San Joaquin Memorial High School | $24–$26/hr |
| Selma Unified School District (Selma, California) | $27.57–$35.06/hr |
| Southwest Transportation | $25.13–$32.45/hr |
Humboldt County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Eureka City Schools | $23.81–$37.77/hr |
| Humboldt County Office of Education | $23.67–$34.98/hr |
| Klamath-Trinity Joint Unified | $18.62–$22.80/hr |
| Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District | $29.71–$46.14/hr |
Imperial County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Brawley Elementary School District | $27.55–$34.30/hr |
| Calipatria Unified | $23.84/hr |
| Imperial Unified School District | $26.23–$29.33/hr |
Kern County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Delano Union Elementary | $25.50–$28.67/hr |
| General Shafter Elementary | $30/hr |
| Kern County Superintendent of Schools | $22.36–$26.98/hr |
| Muroc Joint Unified | $20.83–$23.75/hr |
| Rosedale Union School District | $19.94–$31.11/hr |
| Southern Kern Unified School District (Rosamond, Ca) | $23.51–$33.68/hr |
Kings County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Hanford Joint Union High School District | $26.51–$33.97/hr |
| Lemoore Union High School District | $26.97–$33.15/hr |
Lake County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Konocti Unified | $18.95–$20.72/hr |
| Lucerne Elementary | $17.97–$31.27/hr |
Lassen County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Janesville Union Elementary School District | $22.34–$24.16/hr |
| Lassen Union High District | $20.16/hr |
| Shaffer Union Elementary | $22–$31.30/hr |
Los Angeles County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Acton-Agua Dulce Unified | $21.16–$25.71/hr |
| Arcadia Unified School District | $29.28–$29.87/hr |
| Azusa Unified | $22.70–$27.59/hr |
| Baldwin Park Unified School District | $24.45–$29.77/hr |
| Hacienda La Puente Unified | $24.65–$32.36/hr |
| Keppel Union School District | $24.78–$30.12/hr |
| Lennox School District | $23.39–$28.48/hr |
| Lynwood Unified School District | $24.65–$29.75/hr |
| Sulphur Springs Union School District | $23.09–$29.49/hr |
| Torrance Unified School District | $27.13–$32.95/hr |
| Walnut Valley Unified School District | $26.68–$34.52/hr |
| Whittier Union High School District | $16.90/hr |
Madera County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Alview-Dairyland Union Elementary | $30.14–$34/hr |
| Madera Unified School District | $24.96/hr |
| Yosemite Unified School District | $20.48–$23.41/hr |
Marin County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Novato Unified School District | $27.13–$31.41/hr |
Merced County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Dos Palos Oro Loma Jt. Unified | $24.17–$31.22/hr |
| Livingston Union School District | $24.97–$29.65/hr |
| Los Banos Unified | $25.79–$31.38/hr |
| Merced City School District | $22.60–$39.46/hr |
| Merced County Office of Education | $24.44–$28.04/hr |
| Weaver Union School District | $24.54–$31.95/hr |
| Winton Elementary School District | $25.12–$30.52/hr |
Modoc County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Tulelake Basin Joint Unified | $26.74–$30.10/hr |
Monterey County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Greenfield Union School District - Monterey County | $21.71–$28.67/hr |
| Monterey County Office Of Education | $24.22–$31.28/hr |
| Monterey Peninsula Unified School District | $23.93–$32.83/hr |
| North Monterey County Unified School District | $24.76/hr |
| Salinas City Elementary | $25.05/hr |
| Salinas Union High School District | $18.43–$28.69/hr |
| Santa Rita Union School District | $23.38–$29.83/hr |
| South Monterey County High School District | $22.69–$25.01/hr |
| Spreckels Union School District | $26.32–$28.47/hr |
Orange County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Anaheim Union High School District | $30.74–$37.76/hr |
| Brea Olinda Unified School District | $23.23–$28.26/hr |
| Capistrano Unified School District | $24.39/hr |
| Centralia Elementary School District | $27.45–$33.39/hr |
| Fountain Valley Elementary School District | $26.72–$32.48/hr |
| Fullerton Elementary School District | $24.30–$31.11/hr |
| Fullerton Joint Union High School District | $27.36–$34.95/hr |
| Garden Grove Unified School District | $29.04/hr |
| Huntington Beach City School District | $28.77–$35.62/hr |
| Huntington Beach Union High School District | $27.22–$33.71/hr |
| Los Alamitos Unified | $27.79–$35.51/hr |
| Newport-Mesa Unified School District | $22.98–$38.20/hr |
| Ocean View School District of Orange County | $19.44/hr |
| Orange County School of the Arts | $18–$25/hr |
| Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified | $27.49–$33.49/hr |
| Santa Margarita Catholic High School | $30–$35/hr |
| St. Margaret's Episcopal School - Orange County | $27–$30/hr |
Placer County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Dry Creek Joint Elementary | $26.99–$34.75/hr |
| Eureka Union School District | $23.98–$32.14/hr |
| Rocklin Unified School District | $25.68–$32.79/hr |
| Roseville City School District (Preschool to 8th Grade) | $25.76–$28.39/hr |
| Western Placer Unified School District | $22.55–$28.68/hr |
Riverside County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Banning Unified School District | $25.40–$35.81/hr |
| Beaumont Unified School District | $19.59–$34.33/hr |
| Coachella Valley Unified School District | $17.90–$36.60/hr |
| Hemet Unified School District | $26.56–$32.29/hr |
| Lake Elsinore Unified School District | $23.11–$30.35/hr |
| Moreno Valley Unified School District | $24.83–$33.36/hr |
| Morongo School - Morongo Band of Mission Indians | $25/hr |
| Nuview Union School District | $26.71–$35.75/hr |
| Temecula Valley Unified School District | $24.64–$31.20/hr |
Sacramento County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Fortune School of Education | $28/hr |
| Natomas Unified School District | $28.39–$35.62/hr |
| River Delta Unified School District | $23.95–$27.76/hr |
| Sacramento City Unified School District | $27.21–$39.83/hr |
| San Juan Unified School District | $23.18–$29.13/hr |
San Benito County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| San Benito High School District | $19.08–$24.96/hr |
San Bernardino County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Adelanto Elementary School District | $28.68/hr |
| Alta Loma School District | $24.63–$30.70/hr |
| Bear Valley Unified | $27.98–$32.30/hr |
| Chaffey Joint Union High School District | $30.04–$35.93/hr |
| Chino Valley Unified School District | $27.12–$32.96/hr |
| Colton Joint Unified School District | $27.46–$33.37/hr |
| Ontario-Montclair School District (K-8) | $23.28–$30.40/hr |
| Redlands Unified School District | $25.13–$32.09/hr |
| Rim Of The World Unified | $24.45–$29.79/hr |
| Upland Unified School District | $21.65–$26.32/hr |
San Diego County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Academy of Our Lady of Peace | $20/hr |
| Bonsall Unified School District | $24.76–$27.30/hr |
| Cajon Valley Union School District | $23.75–$28.93/hr |
| Chula Vista Elementary | $25.55–$33.89/hr |
| Escondido Union High School District | $24.50–$32.84/hr |
| Fallbrook Union Elementary School District | $23.66–$27.45/hr |
| Grossmont Union High School District | $26.27–$28.86/hr |
| La Mesa-Spring Valley School District | $23.12–$29.51/hr |
| Literacy First Charter Schools | $16.90/hr |
| Mountain Empire Unified | $20.99–$24.93/hr |
| Oceanside Unified | $22.78–$35.47/hr |
| Poway Unified School District | $21.69/hr |
| Ramona Unified School District | $22.58–$28.82/hr |
| San Dieguito Union High School District | $24.08–$32.27/hr |
| San Marcos Unified School District | $18.41–$30.17/hr |
| Sweetwater Union High School District | $26.33–$32.38/hr |
| Vista Unified School District | $22.86–$25.86/hr |
San Joaquin County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Escalon Unified | $24.24–$30.01/hr |
| Lincoln Unified School District | $24.10–$33.14/hr |
| Linden Unified School District | $24.53–$29.89/hr |
| Lodi Unified | $24.36–$30.93/hr |
| Tracy Unified School District | $26.67–$32.21/hr |
San Luis Obispo County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Atascadero Unified | $26.57–$32.77/hr |
| Paso Robles Joint Unified School District | $22.53–$30.20/hr |
| San Luis Coastal USD | $26.12–$28.79/hr |
San Mateo County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Notre Dame High School - Belmont | $20/hr |
| Ravenswood City Elementary | $32.83–$44.04/hr |
| San Mateo Union High School District | $37.04–$45.02/hr |
| Sequoia Union High School District | $37.13–$45/hr |
Santa Barbara County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Carpinteria Unified School District | $26.94/hr |
| Los Olivos School District | $21.84–$26.54/hr |
| Orcutt Union School District and Academy Charter High School | $23.43–$29.90/hr |
| Santa Maria Joint Union High School District | $25.08/hr |
Santa Clara County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Alum Rock Union Elementary School District | $26.79–$32.56/hr |
| Evergreen Elementary School District | $27.50–$35.16/hr |
| Franklin-McKinley School District | $28.52–$34.75/hr |
| Gilroy Unified | $22.70–$28.95/hr |
| Loma Prieta Joint Union Elementary | $21.35–$34.48/hr |
| Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District | $33.70–$45.16/hr |
| Morgan Hill Unified School District | $26.97/hr |
| Mountain View Whisman School District | $30.66–$41.11/hr |
| Oak Grove School District | $29.31–$37.41/hr |
| Palo Alto Unified School District | $31.81–$40.57/hr |
| San Jose Unified School District | $29.43/hr |
| Santa Clara Unified School District | $36.06–$45.99/hr |
Santa Cruz County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Pajaro Valley Unified School District | $19.31–$27.21/hr |
Shasta County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Enterprise Elementary | $21.49–$33.25/hr |
| Gateway Unified School District | $24.07–$35.30/hr |
| Millville Elementary School District | $18.26–$23.64/hr |
| Shasta County Office Of Education | $23.19–$31.19/hr |
| Shasta Union High School District | $23.51–$25.87/hr |
Siskiyou County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| College of the Siskiyous | $38.53/hr |
Solano County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Fairfield-Suisun Unified | $23.12–$25.44/hr |
| Travis Unified School District | $24.21–$37.67/hr |
| Vallejo City Unified School District | $22.17–$27.85/hr |
Sonoma County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Cloverdale Unified | $25.10–$32.04/hr |
| Petaluma City Schools | $23.31–$34.45/hr |
| Sonoma Valley Unified School District | $23.69–$29.35/hr |
| Windsor Unified School District | $22.68–$25/hr |
Stanislaus County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Hart-Ransom Union School District | $24.78–$35.06/hr |
| Keyes Union School District | $21.52–$33.39/hr |
| Oakdale Joint Unified School District | $23.61–$32.79/hr |
| Sylvan Union School District | $25.03–$35.50/hr |
| Turlock Unified School District | $26.81–$35.93/hr |
Sutter County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Yuba City Unified School District | $25.70–$31.18/hr |
Tehama County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Gerber Union Elementary | $19.58–$31.90/hr |
| Red Bluff Joint Union High | $22.89–$27.82/hr |
| Tehama County Department of Education | $21.21–$32.60/hr |
Trinity County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Mountain Valley Unified | $24.80–$34.90/hr |
Tulare County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Classic Charter | $23–$30/hr |
| Dinuba Unified School District | $24.67–$29.99/hr |
| Exeter Unified School District | $25.87–$36.66/hr |
| Farmersville Unified | $24.25–$33.05/hr |
| Visalia Unified School District | $23.34–$29.79/hr |
| Woodlake Unified School District | $24.23–$26.86/hr |
Tuolumne County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Sonora Union High School District | $22.68–$27.57/hr |
| Summerville Union High School | $25.24–$31.04/hr |
Ventura County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Fillmore Unified School District | $20.63–$26.67/hr |
| Moorpark Unified School District | $21.58–$32.69/hr |
| Ocean View Elementary School District | $27.19–$33.08/hr |
| Oxnard School District | $24.35–$29.60/hr |
| Rio Elementary | $23.07–$25.43/hr |
| Simi Valley Unified School District | $21.19–$28.18/hr |
| Ventura Unified School District | $27.65/hr |
Yolo County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Sacramento Valley Charter School | $25–$30/hr |
| Washington Unified School District - W. Sacramento | $28.75–$44.45/hr |
| Woodland Joint Unified | $23.15–$28.14/hr |
Yuba County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Marysville Joint Unified School District | $25.12–$32/hr |
Statewide organizations
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Rio Hondo Community College | $23/hr |
Where these numbers come from
We read every driver posting on EDJOIN and on the job boards of districts that post elsewhere, as long as it's open now or went up after July 1, 2026, and keep the ones that list an hourly rate. Bus attendants, mechanics, dispatchers, trainers and supervisors are left out. New hires usually start at the low end of a range. Pay changes, so check the posting before you apply.
Requirements: the Monterey County Office of Education's driver requirements and Paso Robles Joint Unified's training program describe the state certificate process; the CHP's School Bus Program issues the certificate.