OSCA 711231

Bus Driver

Overview

  • Employed persons

    36,000

  • Employment status

    58.8% Full time

    41.2% Part time

  • Median age

    56 years

  • Employment by sex

    13.4% Female

    86.6% Male

    Highly male dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    2.0%

  • Main employing industry

    Transport, Postal and Warehousing

Indicator Bus Driver Total employment
Employed persons 36,000 12,049,400
Median age 56 years 40 years
Full-time share 58.8% 64.2%
Part-time share 41.2% 35.8%
Female employment share 13.4% 48.5%
Male employment share 86.6% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Highly male dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 2.0% 2.2%
Main employing industry Transport, Postal and Warehousing Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Bus Drivers drive a bus to transport passengers short distances on scheduled intra-city services over established routes.

What the occupation involves

  • Drives a bus to transport passengers over established routes while adhering to traffic regulations
  • Stops at set locations to enable passengers to board and alight
  • Assists passengers with boarding and disembarking from the bus
  • Collects fares and issues tickets, and monitors electronic payment
  • Provides information to passengers regarding routes, schedules and fares
  • Monitors and ensures the safety of passengers during transit, and maintains the orderly conduct of passengers
  • Completes required paperwork and documentation, such as daily logs and incident reports

Common occupation titles

No alternative occupation titles are listed for this occupation.

Specialisations

  • School Bus Driver

Note: Specialisations are examples of roles in within this occupation and are not separate OSCA occupations.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 4
equivalent to a lower‑level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate II or III).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

Registration or licensing is required.

OSCA structure

Machinery Operators and Drivers (7)

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Bus Driver Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 85.9% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Education and Training 4.5% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Public Administration and Safety 2.1% Construction 8.9%
    Health Care and Social Assistance 1.7% Education and Training 8.8%
    Accommodation and Food Services 1.5% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Administrative and Support Services 0.6% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Mining 0.5% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Retail Trade 0.5% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Other Services 0.3% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services 0.2% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      34.9%

    • Victoria

      20.7%

    • Queensland

      19.9%

    • South Australia

      6.7%

    • Tasmania

      2.6%

    • Northern Territory

      1.0%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      2.3%

    Bus Driver Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 12,600 34.9% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 7,500 20.7% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 7,200 19.9% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 2,400 6.7% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 4,300 11.8% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 940 2.6% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 370 1.0% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 820 2.3% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Bus Driver

    Total employment

    Age group Bus Driver Total employment
    15–24 years 0.3% 14.3%
    25–34 years 5.9% 22.7%
    35–44 years 15.0% 22.3%
    45–54 years 22.7% 20.4%
    55–64 years 35.2% 15.3%
    65–74 years 18.7% 4.3%
    75 years and over 2.2% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Bus Driver Total employment
    Female 13.4% 48.5%
    Male 86.6% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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