Does First Student pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, First Student employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at First Student. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at First Student?

70% of First Student employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated First Student 3.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.5 for culture and values and 3.6 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at First Student?

School Bus Driver (493) , Graduate Student (365) , Software Engineer (195) , Bus Driver (164) , Driver (124) , Student Worker (67) , Data Entry (63) , Software Developer (59) , Internship (51) , Working Student (45) , Intern (43) , PhD Student (33) , Web Developer (30) , Bus Monitor (25) , Mechanical Engineer (25)

What are the pros of working at First Student according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is good and they are flexible with hours" ((in 166 reviews)); "Worth ethics is good and people are supporting" ((in 118 reviews)); "Good Workplace and good environment" ((in 51 reviews)); "CDL Training for later use in life" ((in 45 reviews)); "Good Work life balance all time" ((in 39 reviews))

What are the cons of working at First Student according to real employee reviews?

"Bad management but now its good" ((in 106 reviews)); "Not enough hour No benefit Not enough hour No benefit Not enough hour No benefitNot enough hour No benefit" ((in 78 reviews)); "Low salary and no retaining of interns" ((in 76 reviews)); "Hours are long and do not let you sleep." ((in 52 reviews)); "Very difficult company to work for umess you have a good manager." ((in 27 reviews))

What are employees saying about First Student layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about First Student layoffs and their outlook for job security at First Student in 2026.

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First Student

First Student reviews

3.7

70% would recommend to a friend

(3,728 total reviews)

John Kenning

70% approve of CEO

65% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.9

Diversity & inclusion

3.8

Work/Life balance

3.6

Career opportunities

3.5

Culture & values

3.5

Compensation and benefits

3.4

Senior management

First Student has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 3,728 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The First Student employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Transporte y logística industry (3.5 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

4K reviews

4.0

Apr 12, 2011

good

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

very nice place to work

Cons

not good place for growth there.

4.0

Jan 7, 2011

Very easy job

Customer service

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

First Student: a unique place to work in that it is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). As an FFRDC, it is a private not-for-profit corporation chartered in the public interest. (Actually, MITRE operates three FFRDCs; one for DoD, one for the FAA, and one for the Department of the Treasury).

Cons

As an FFRDC, the total number staff and the total dollar revenue than can be applied to the sponsor organizations is capped by Congress (this is true of all FFRDCs). This cap (or ceiling as it is known within MITRE) is rarely increased and when it is, it is usually by a small amount. In fact, in the mid 1990s, the ceiling was decreased in line with the declining DoD budgets which resulted in limited reductions in force (layoffs).

3.0

Jul 13, 2010

Good for Part-time

Bus driver

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You have time to take college courses to improve your salary desired. 6pm your free to do as you please.

Cons

The downside to this company is lousy benefits and being forced to pay a union that you didn't join voluntarily.

Viewing 3718 - 3720 of 3,728 Reviews

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