NOC 73301: Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators

Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators drive buses and operate streetcars, subway trains and light rail transit vehicles to transport passengers on established routes. Bus drivers are employed by urban transit systems, school boards or transportation authorities and private transportation companies. Streetcar, subway and light rail transit operators are employed by urban transit systems.

Express Entry eligibility

• Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 3.
• Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
• Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
• Federal Skilled Trades Program: an eligible skilled trade (2 years in the last 5 years).
• High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): no. No high-wage add-on, and a job offer in it earns no CRS points.

TEER 3: Occupations that usually need a college diploma, an apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

NOC 73301 is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists. You can still be invited in general, Canadian Experience Class or other program draws.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 73301

Skilled Canadian work in this occupation earns the standard points, the same before and after November 3, 2026, with no high-wage add-on:

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Bus drivers and streetcar operators
• Drive buses or streetcars to transport passengers along established routes to local destinations
• Drive buses to transport passengers and goods to intercity or long distance destinations
• Drive sightseeing tour buses to transport passengers locally or over long distances
• Drive buses equipped for wheelchair accessibility, and aid passengers in boarding
• Provide passengers with information on fares, schedules and stops
• Collect fares, issue and validate transfers, check bus passes and record transactions
• Conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections of vehicle
• Communicate with passengers, dispatchers or other drivers using two-way radio systems
• Report delays, mechanical problems and accidents
• May provide information on points of interest during sightseeing tours
• May load and unload passengers' luggage and express freight.
• School bus drivers
• Drive school buses to transport children between school and home or on excursions
• Ensure children's safety when boarding and leaving buses and crossing street while bus is stopped
• Maintain control of student activities during travel to prevent distractions or behaviours that could compromise safety
• May transport adults outside of school hours on chartered trips.
• Subway train and light rail transit operators
• Operate subway or rail transit vehicles as part of two-person crew
• Observe signals at crossings and arrival and departure points
• Operate controls to open and close transit vehicle doors
• Report delays, malfunctions and accidents to control unit
• Ensure passenger safety and welfare in emergencies, and direct passengers during evacuation procedures.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

• bus driver
• bus operator
• light rail transit operator
• motor coach driver
• public passenger transit driver
• school bus driver
• sightseeing tour driver
• streetcar operator
• subway train operator
• transit operator - transportation

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is usually required.
• Up to three months of on-the-job training, including classroom instruction, is usually provided for all occupations in this unit group.
• A minimum of one year of safe driving experience is required.
• Bus drivers require a Class B, C, E or F driver's licence in Ontario, and a Class 2 driver's licence is required in all other provinces and the territories.
• An air brakes endorsement and first aid certificate may be required.
• Experience as a public transit bus driver is usually required for subway and light rail transit operators.

Similar jobs with a different code

• 72024Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators