Does First Student pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, First Student employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.4 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at First Student. This rating has decreased by 2% 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 was good and it was consistent" ((in 164 reviews)); "Worth ethics is good and people are supporting" ((in 114 reviews)); "CDL Training for later use in life" ((in 48 reviews)); "Work life balance is good" ((in 39 reviews)); "work culture is good and motivating" ((in 35 reviews))

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

"Bad management but now its good" ((in 109 reviews)); "Low salary and no retaining of interns" ((in 78 reviews)); "Not enough hour No benefit Not enough hour No benefit Not enough hour No benefitNot enough hour No benefit" ((in 78 reviews)); "Long hours and boring work" ((in 57 reviews)); "Very difficult company to work for umess you have a good manager." ((in 26 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

72% 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

Career opportunities

3.4

Compensation and benefits

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

1.0

Apr 30, 2014

Not as good as they make it.

School bus driver

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Charter trips, work availability (depends on location), work schedule. This job follows school schedule and makes decent supplemental income. They cover cost of licensing and certification.

Cons

Pay (locations vary), gets mundane, policies that make no sense, upper management, failing fleet that flips FS safety policies on its head. No incentives/retainer also no advancement other than capping at senior pay. "Do as we say not as we do" vibe. CYA company!!!

1.0

Feb 23, 2014

Laidlaw was a better company

School bus driver

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Co-workers are great. Time off on holidays and summer. Pay is good compared to other jobs.

Cons

Managers are not qualified to do their jobs. If they do hire someone good they will get burnout because of all the stupid rules and procedures they have to follow. You feel like you're being spied on. They pay you to the second, got a pay check for 39.98 hours!! The bus are old and break down. They don't respect union contracts.

2.0

Jan 17, 2014

Too many policies!

Bus driver

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

They are a charter company, you are entitled to unemployment in the off season, but you have to fight for it.

Cons

There are too many policies. There is a policy for driving, walking on the lot, walking in the parking lot, while on the job, while waiting in between shifts..........

Viewing 250 - 252 of 3,733 Reviews

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