Prince George's County Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL, no tuition. PGCPS pays you $20/hr to train for your commercial license, then $23.59/hr at Step 1.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Maryland CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Prince George's County Public Schools, anchored by Upper Marlboro, is the second-largest district in Maryland and the 18th-largest in the country, with roughly 132,000 students. More than 83,500 of them ride a School Bus each day on about 1,152 buses routed daily, run by a workforce of roughly 1,961 drivers and attendants out of 12 bus lots. The district reported about 41 driver vacancies heading into the 2026-27 school year, down from roughly 140 full-time positions, and it keeps hiring through virtual events, job fairs, and community outreach.
You do not need a commercial driver's license to apply. PGCPS hires you into its Bus Driver Trainee program at $20.00 an hour, provides the CDL training to all new hires, and moves you onto the driver pay scale once you are licensed. Maryland sets the minimum age at 21. The program length in weeks is not published. This page covers the real Prince George's County process, what it costs you, and what the job pays.
Prince George's County Public Schools at a glance
The essentials, pulled from official sources. The full pay tables, the exact application walkthrough, and the school calendar are in the guide.
How to become a School Bus Driver in Prince George's County
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Prince George's County Public Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
Maryland law sets the minimum age for a School Bus Driver at 21, so an 18-year-old CDL holder cannot drive a Maryland School Bus. Trainees may carry no more than two current points on the driving record, and serious moving violations, DUIs, and license suspensions are disqualifying. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, not required.
Apply online for "Bus Driver Trainee"
PGCPS posts openings on its Drive With Us page at pgcps.org, which links directly to the Frontline applicant tracking system for both Bus Driver and Bus Driver Trainee. Positions stay open until filled. Complete the full application and certify your driving and employment history accurately.
Interview with PGCPS Human Resources
PGCPS recruits through virtual hiring events, job fairs, and community outreach, all listed on the Drive With Us page. For hiring questions, call PGCPS Human Resources at 301-952-6134. You can also contact the Transportation Department at 301-952-6570, or contact the bus lot nearest you.
Clear the screenings after your offer
After a conditional offer you complete a fingerprint criminal history check through Maryland's Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, a DOT 5-panel drug screen, and a DOT physical with a Medical Examiner's Certificate. Maryland requires the school vehicle driver physical annually, not on the federal two-year cycle. The district publishes no statement on who pays these screening costs, so ask Transportation before you apply.
Earn your CDL as a paid trainee
You need a Class B CDL with the P (Passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements. PGCPS runs its own training and pays trainees $20.00 per hour while you learn, in air-brake School Buses on the range and the road. The program satisfies the federal entry-level driver training rule. Postings describe the trainee role as moving into a full-time 180-day slot, though some variants reference part-time trainee hours, so confirm the hours for the specific posting.
Ride with a trainer, then drive your route solo
Maryland requires at least 8 hours of classroom and 9 hours of behind-the-wheel preservice instruction before you transport students, and 6 hours of in-service instruction every year after. New drivers ride routes with experienced trainers until they know their assignment, then drive solo. Benefits include health insurance, retirement, personal and sick leave, and ACE/AFSCME Local 2250 representation.
What's in the full Prince George's County Public Schools guide
35+ pages, twelve chapters, written in plain English — everything above in full detail, plus the parts that change year to year.
Right now, includes a free Maryland CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Prince George's County Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Prince George's County Public Schools pay scale, benefits, and the split-shift schedule — the numbers that decide if this fits your life.
The application, walked through
Exactly what to submit and which documents to attach, so you are not knocked out on a technicality.
The interview
The three things every interviewer is really asking, and what to highlight. (Free in the sample.)
Screenings & paid CDL training
Every screening after your offer, who pays for what, and how you are trained toward your CDL.
The school calendar
This year's Prince George's County Public Schools calendar — work days, holidays, and breaks — so you know your real schedule.
Managing a bus full of kids
The passenger-management techniques veteran drivers swear by. (Also free in the sample.)
See inside before you buy
A few real pages from the manual — the interview and passenger-management chapters — so you can judge the quality yourself.
Prince George's County Public Schools bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to apply to drive for PGCPS?
No. PGCPS states that applicants without a CDL can be trained to earn a Commercial Driver's License through its Bus Driver Trainee program. The district provides paid CDL training to all new hires and requires a Class B with Passenger and School Bus endorsements by the time you drive students. You must be at least 21.
How much do PGCPS bus drivers make, and what are the hours?
Trainees start at $20.00 per hour during paid training. On the FY26 scale, Step 1 pay is $23.59 per hour for the Bus grade, and the scale tops out at $42.14 per hour at Step 31. The scale is built on a 1,170-hour work year, about 6.5 hours per school day, over a 10-month, roughly 180-day year with a minimum of 6 hours per day. Drivers get no nights, weekends, or holidays on regular routes.
Does PGCPS offer a sign-on bonus, and how long is training?
No current sign-on, referral, or retention bonus for new bus drivers appears in the district's postings or contract materials, so ask Human Resources whether any incentive applies for the school year. The length of the training program in weeks is also not published. Call Transportation at 301-952-6570 for the next training class start date before you plan around it.
What's the free CDL study guide?
For a limited time, every district guide comes bundled with a free study guide for your state's CDL Passenger and School Bus endorsements — the two written tests you'll take. It covers exactly what's on those tests so you can pass the first time, at no extra cost.
Is this an official guide from the School District?
No. It is an independent preparation guide, not affiliated with or endorsed by any School District. It organizes the public information into one clear manual so you do not have to dig for it.
How do I get the guide after I pay?
Instantly. Checkout takes about a minute, then you get a download link on the screen and by email. It is a PDF you can open on any phone, tablet, or computer and keep.
Get hired in Prince George's County Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.