Career Suggestion

Bus or coach driver

Bus and coach drivers transport passengers on local, national or overseas journeys.

Average salary (a year)

£25000.0 to £37000.0 (starter to experienced)

Typical hours (a week)

40.0 to 48.0 variable

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays away from home

You can get into this job through:

  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do a Passenger Transport Driver Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, with a bus or coach company.

You will need to hold at least a Category B (car driving licence) to start training.

The apprenticeship typically takes 12 months to complete and combines workplace training with off-the-job study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

More Information

  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

Direct Application

You can apply to bus or coach companies and train on the job.

Most companies will expect you to have a at least 6 months' car driving experience.

You would be put through Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) driver training that normally lasts between 1 and 6 weeks.

Your employer will also give you training for the Certificate of Professional Competence or Driver CPC.

More Information

Career Tips

Some travel companies offer contracts where you receive a daily rate until the job is complete. For example, it might be driving passengers on a coaching holiday. In cases like these, the rates can be from £120 a day upwards.

Further Information

You can find out how to become a qualified bus driver on GOV.UK.

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • customer service skills
  • knowledge of public safety and security
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • knowledge of transport methods, costs and benefits
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to organise your time and workload
  • the ability to operate and control equipment
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

  • have a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) known as a driver CPC
  • be over 18 years of age
  • have a full driving licence

Every 5 years you'll need to:take 35 hours of Driver CPC training ; renew your bus driving licence if you're aged 45 or over

Find out more about applying for your provisional PCV licence .

Day-to-day tasks

As a bus driver, you could:

  • take fares
  • check tickets and passes
  • give timetable or route information
  • help passengers who are having difficulty getting on or off the vehicle
  • drive safely and keep to timetables

If you're a coach driver, you may also:

  • greet passengers and check travel documents
  • load and unload luggage
  • make announcements during the journey
  • keep the coach clean and do basic vehicle checks
  • record driving hours and report any incidents
  • deal with border control authorities on trips abroad

Working environment

You may need to wear a uniform.

With experience, you could become a service scheduler, inspector, depot manager or driver training instructor.

You could also set up your own business. For this you'll need the Transport Manager Certificate of Professional Confidence (CPC) . This can be done through a local training provider.

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