The nationwide school bus driver shortage has improved slightly in the last year, but the number of drivers is still 9.5% lower than it was in 2019, the Economic Policy Institute says.
The institute's report notes that many financially strapped school districts have curtailed bus service or eliminated routes.
"These types of cuts can eliminate a student’s only way to attend school, including for students with disabilities who rely on buses to attend schools with enhanced special education services," the institute says. "Inconsistent bus schedules and routes can also contribute to absenteeism and missed school meals."
The report found that 21,200 fewer bus drivers were employed in the United States in August 2025 compared with August 2019.
In the last year, the bus driver figures are more positive. Employment has increased by about 2,300 jobs--1.1%. The institute says the improvement appears to be driven by rising wages for drivers.
"Hourly wages have grown steadily over the last year," the report says. "In August 2025, the median hourly wage for school bus drivers was $22.45, 4.2% greater than last year (when accounting for inflation)....The wage growth for school bus drivers in the last year stands out as a much-needed investment in this critical segment of the education workforce."
The recent growth of bus driver wages is a change from the track record of the past 15 years.
"Austerity and budget cuts in the 2010s not only contributed to a steady decrease in school bus driver employment but also meant there were few resources available for school districts to invest in school bus driver wages," the institute says.
The report warns that it is too soon to say whether the wage increases for school bus drivers are indicative of a longer-term trend. Some of the recent wage improvements can be attributed to the availability of federal pandemic relief funds, and those funds are now depleted. In addition, the instability at the federal level because of the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education may make it more difficult for school systems to manage their resources effectively.
"A healthy K–12 public education system needs strong bus driver wage growth to continue to bring more workers into the occupation, but instability at the federal level could jeopardize those trends as school districts scramble to account for changes in funding," the institute asserts. "...In the face of tremendous federal threats, state and local lawmakers must do everything they can to shore up resources for public schools."
