First Student

Now Hiring Part Time School Bus Drivers - Columbus, Ohio!

Sign-On Bonus: $1,000*

As a Part Time School Bus Driver, you will play a vital role in your community and the lives of students. You will start students' days with morning pickup before school and transport them safely back home in the afternoon. Additional hours for field trips and special event transportation may be available.

No experience is necessary to become a school bus driver! We are here to help you succeed with expert training and guidance to help you become a safe and professional First Student school bus driver.

School Bus Driver benefits:

• Pay Details: Dependent on experience and qualifications
• Hourly Pay Rate: $30.00 per hour
• Training Pay Rate: $15.00 per hour
• Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP) and Commercial Driver's License (CDL) training provided!
• Medical, Dental, Vision, & Life insurance or coverage options
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with company match.
• Part-time, flexible schedule: Split shifts (AM/PM routes), weekdays only; No nights, weekends, holidays, or summers required.
• Career Advancement Opportunities: Advance into operational, maintenance, management, and leadership roles in over 540 locations across the U.S. & Canada!
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Counseling and support services for personal and work-related issues.
• Community Impact: Be a trusted figure for students and families.
• Employee Discount Program: Discounts on various products and services.
• Guaranteed Minimum Hours: Get paid for 5 hours per day at minimum.
• Child Ride-Along Program: Perfect for working parents.
• Safety or Attendance bonuses**
• Commercial Learner's Permit Bonus***
  • $750 CLP Bonus if obtained within 7 days
  • $250 CLP Bonus if obtained within 14 days

Your day as a School Bus Driver will include:

• Safely transport students to and from school and activities.
• Supervise boarding and unloading at stops; assist students with seatbelts and mobility aids.
• Maintain order on the bus to prevent distractions.
• Conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections (brakes, lights, tires, emergency exits).
• Report mechanical issues promptly and keep the bus clean and sanitary.
• Obey all traffic laws and company safety standards.
• Communicate with parents, school staff, and dispatch about student behavior or delays.
• Demonstrate leadership and customer service skills.

School Bus Driver Jobs are Perfect For:

• Retirees looking for supplemental income
• Stay-at-home parents seeking daytime work
• Veterans transitioning into civilian roles
• Anyone seeking a second career or flexible job
• People who enjoy working with children

You might be a good fit as a School Bus Driver if you:

• Are at least 21 years old
• Have a valid driver's license for at least 3 years
• Are looking for a part-time schedule and summers off
• Enjoy working with students

Note: This position is subject to DOT drug testing as a safety-sensitive employee. DOT Regulation 49 CFR Part 40 does not authorize the use of Schedule I drugs, including marijuana, for any reason.

Great School Bus Drivers often bring skills such as:

• Valid Class B License
• History driving with ride share companies or taxi services
• Previous experience as a teacher, CDL driver, social worker, classroom assistant, hospitality worker, or customer service or retail associate.

Take the wheel and drive your career forward with First Student! Make an impact in your community while enjoying flexible schedules, great pay, and unmatched support.

*Sign-on bonus conditions apply. See location for details. Bonus offer is effective 10/30/2026.

***Commercial Learner's Permit Bonus conditions apply. See location for details. Bonus offer is effective 10/31/2026.

Language Requirement
This role requires English proficiency. Federal, state, and local requirements, including U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, require training, safety communications, company policies, employment documents, and other job-related communications be conducted in English.

First for a reason:

At First Student, we are a family of 60,000+ employees who take pride in safely transporting more than 5 million students and passengers to and from their destinations each day! Our family of brands include Transco, Total Transportation, Maggies Paratransit, and GVC II. Our employees are at the forefront of safety and innovation; they create and implement the most advanced training and technology the transportation industry has to offer.

In the state of Washington, all technician and driving positions, including but not limited to van drivers and any other position requiring employees to drive a company-owned vehicle, are considered safety-sensitive and are therefore subject to drug and alcohol testing, including cannabis.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug-free workplace. First will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, and any other fair chance law. Philadelphia's Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance Poster is at this link or upon request https://www.phila.gov/media/20210423160847/Fair-Chance-Hiring-law-poster.pdf.

About us
An industry leader famous for our yellow school buses and service and safety excellence, we’ve provided student transportation services to schools for over 100 years. Continually investing in the services of the future, we’re proud to be part of FirstGroup America – the largest provider of safe, reliable and sustainable surface passenger transportation services in North America.

Industry leader
We safely operate more than one third of all contracted school buses in North America.
Together our 50,000 school buses travel nearly 600 million miles per year — the equivalent of 1,200 round trips to the moon.
We operate in around 550 locations throughout 38 U.S. states and 8 Canadian provinces.

Innovation
We were the first school bus company to utilize global positioning systems (GPS), so at any one time we know where all of our buses are and how fast they’re travelling.
Passionate about safety, we’ve installed Safety Crossing Gates on the front of all of our school buses and use the Child Check-MateTM electronic reminder system to make sure no sleeping children remain inside a bus at the end of each route.

Awards & recognition
We won the Occupational Excellence Achievement Award from the National Safety Council two years in a row.
Dedicated to safety, FirstGroup received the National Safety Council’s (NSC) Green Cross for Safety Medal - the highest award for safety in North America.

Teamwork and trust
It takes a diverse team of skilled professionals to provide a safe, effective and efficient student transportation system. From our school bus drivers and location managers to routers, dispatchers and fleet technician mechanics, the work we do every day makes a big impact on the daily lives of students, parents, local communities and school district partners.

We’re very proud of our elite team of over 55,000 dedicated, caring and diverse professionals. And they are the #1 reason we’re trusted by over 1,400 school districts - more than any other provider. Everybody here plays their part in creating a positive school bus experience.

Our culture
We live and breathe our vision and values. They are embedded in our culture and drive our commitment to our customers and communities. Our culture fosters growth and promotes respect, reliability, responsibility and safety. And we recruit people who share these values and will work together to build strong and trusting partnerships in the communities we serve.

Safety – Although our safety record is twice as safe as the industry average, we continually seek out opportunities to enhance our operational and safety initiatives.
Learning – Through our learning culture that spans over 550 locations, we receive and share insight from our people to enhance our service now and in the future.
Making a difference - By doing our job well, we make a positive impact on many lives – including the millions of students who travel with us every school day.
Careers for all – We’re an Equal Opportunity Employer and an Employer of Choice.
By consistently encouraging and supporting an open dialogue with our people and partners, we’re able to share new ideas and develop new ways to meet the needs of our customers and passengers. At First Student, you’ll feel empowered to serve your community. So join the team and start to make a difference.