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 decreased by 3% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at First Student?

69% 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 3.5 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at First Student?

School Bus Driver (493) , Graduate Student (365) , Software Engineer (195) , Bus Driver (165) , Driver (125) , 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 168 reviews)); "Not a bad place to work the people are great and hours are good for moms." ((in 115 reviews)); "Good Workplace and good environment" ((in 52 reviews)); "CDL Training for later use in life" ((in 44 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)); "Low salary not a permanent job" ((in 79 reviews)); "Not enough hour No benefit Not enough hour No benefit Not enough hour No benefitNot enough hour No benefit" ((in 79 reviews)); "Long hours and boring work" ((in 58 reviews)); "Very difficult company to work for umess you have a good manager." ((in 24 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

69% would recommend to a friend

(3,733 total reviews)

John Kenning

71% approve of CEO

65% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.8

Diversity & inclusion

3.8

Work/Life balance

3.5

Culture & values

3.5

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Career opportunities

3.3

Senior management

First Student has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 3,733 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

3.0

Jul 19, 2016

School Bus Driver

School bus driver

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

* NO INTERVIEW! Pass the background, drug, and medical requirements. Then ... * Paid training toward CDL-B (Commercial Driver License, Class B). * Pay is OK for what it is. Good for "extra earnings" or "back-stop" job. * There's always work. Can be full-time by adding charter routes, becoming a trainer, etc. * Independence. Nobody can micromanage you on the road. * Psychologically rewarding if you like kids.

Cons

* No benefits. But, that may change in a year or two. * Good people, but not brightest managers. They'll make errors calculating your pay hours, or forget to communicate. * Rough hours. Must get up pretty early in the morning. Split shift. * Safety requires very regimented rote memorization and drills. Not easy for some people. * Union shop. Dues don't seem well spent.

3.0

Jul 6, 2016

School bus driver

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I liked the break i have between am and pm runs. That and how i could choose to take on extra work if i wanted. But it all depends on how much they like you. At least the dispatcher.

Cons

Not very organized especially 1st several weeks of school, when your working out the kinks. But they kinda never go away.

2.0

Jun 25, 2016

Stepping stone - go to another company.

School bus driver

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You are able to take your children if they are over a year old.

Cons

Severe favortism. Rules do not apply to everyone. Several drives are paid extra hours over their scheduled hours per day. Other drivers are paid to the hundredth of a minute - literally. Some drivers are paid extra to drive their own children to school.

Viewing 214 - 216 of 3,733 Reviews

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