Bus Driver (Full-Time)

Bus Driver (Full-Time)

Salary

$22.77 - $31.91 Hourly

Location

Mass Transit - 501 South Victory Drive, Mankato, MN

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

202600078

Department

Community Development

Division

6498013 Transit Fixed Routes

Opening Date

11/04/2026

Closing Date

11/15/2026 11:59 PM Central

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

The 2026 starting rate of pay is $22.77 - $23.85 per hour with advancement to $31.91 per hour.

Grade: SS4 FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Safety Sensitive Position: Yes

Supervisor Title: Transit Operations Supervisor

Minimum Qualifications of Education and Experience:

• Must be at least 19 years of age.
• High School Diploma/GED is required
• Must possess a valid drivers license and be able to drive in the state of Minnesota.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Possession of a Minnesota CDL Class A or B Commercial Driver's license (CDL) with passenger endorsement and free of air brake restrictions.

Nature of Work:

This position operates medium and heavy-duty coaches, including mobility buses, on assigned schedules and routes and on special trips, and promotes the service to the public through good public relations. Daily work is based on organizational values.

About Us:

Our employees are committed to working in an environment that fosters the core values of the City of Mankato - positive attitude, accountability, respect, teamwork, and integrity. We care about making a positive difference in the lives of others. Our work is challenging and has purpose. We listen and engage with each other and our community. We are empowered and trusted to make good decisions that align with the public service principles and core values. Our organization is committed to investing and developing each other. We will recognize and celebrate our collective achievements and individual accomplishments.

We take pride in investing in our employees. Our team enjoys a supportive work environment that encourages not only success for the community we serve, but for you as well. Come grow your career with us!

Duties / Responsibilities

Primary Essential Work Functions:

• Safely operates medium and heavy-duty coach buses over prescribed routes.
• Ensures safe transport of all passengers
• Safely picks up and discharges passengers at designated bus stops.
• Maintains accurate on-time bus schedules.
• Issues transfers.
• Assists passengers as necessary.
• Safely loads/unloads, secures, ties down and assists wheelchair passengers.
• Provides information about bus schedules and times to the public as necessary.
• Exercises tact and courtesy in dealing with passengers.
• Observes all safety and traffic regulations.
• Records ridership levels for each trip, operates farebox and marquee.
• Reports defects or repairs needed on buses.
• Completes accident and incident reports as required.
• Operates two-way radio.
• Reports dangerous situations, road conditions, vehicle accidents, or crimes to the dispatcher.
• Operates the mobility bus when assigned.
• Performs inspections and paperwork for the bus before leaving the garage and when returning to the garage.
• Support passengers that may require additional assistance.
• Maintains an accurate inventory at all times of revenue supplies.
• Cleans buses or performs other assigned tasks during times in the work schedule that does not require driving.
• Promptly completes all paperwork and documentation following an accident.
• Calls out important locations to passengers using a public address system.
• Attends all mandatory staff meetings and safety trainings/videos (MMUA).

Communicates With:

• Internally - City Employees
• Externally - General Public, Passengers, City Partners

Supervision:

• Non-supervisory

Other Work Functions:

• Performs physical and mental demands and work environment requirements for this position.
• Attendance during regularly scheduled work hours and outside regular hours as necessary.
• Effective and respectful communication and interactions with other employees, supervisors, individuals from other organizations, and community customers.
• Performs other related work as assigned or apparent.

The above is a general listing of job duties. Essential and non-essential functions may vary by individual position. Reasonable accommodations may be available for both essential and non-essential job duties.

Qualifications / Conditions of Employment

Conditions of Employment:

• Must possess (or obtain within sixty (60) days of employment) a Class B CDL with passenger endorsements and free of air brake restriction for buses larger than 15 people including the driver or 26,001 pounds gross vehicle weight and be able to drive.
• CDL holders must follow the guidelines listed in 49 C.F.R 383.71 & 383.5 to maintain their CDL privileges.
• Must satisfactorily complete a background investigation.
• Must satisfactorily complete a driving background examination, DOT physical examination, and drug screening as required under 49 CFR Part 655.
• Must have a driving record clear of revocations, suspensions, and cancelations for the past three (3) years.
• Must satisfactorily complete and pass an accredited defensive driving course, eight (8) hour passenger assistance course, first aid course, abuse prevention course, CPR course, and fire extinguisher course to be provided by the City of Mankato.
• Must meet expectations of the work functions and knowledge, skills, and abilities for the position.
• Must comply with organizational and departmental policies.
• Must comply with data practices policies and standards relative to not public data. Any access to not public data should be strictly limited to accessing the data that are necessary to fulfill the employment responsibility. While data are being accessed, incumbent should take reasonable measures to ensure the not public data are not accessed by individuals without a work reason. Once the work reason to access the data is reasonably finished the not public data must be properly stored according to city policy and the Minnesota Statutes.
• Safety Sensitive Notice: This is a safety sensitive position which requires cannabis pre-employment drug testing. Safety sensitive position means a job, in which an impairment caused by drug, alcohol or cannabis usage would threaten the health and safety of any person.

Hours of Work

Working hours to be determined by bid route. Schedule will vary depending on route. Position requires weekdays, evening and weekend availability.

City of Mankato

2026 BENEFITS OVERVIEW

For Regular Full-Time Employees

The City of Mankato provides a comprehensive, balanced, and competitive benefits package as part of your total compensation. The Citys benefits programs address both the immediate needs that you and your family may have, such as medical coverage or flexible spending accounts, and your long-term needs, such as retirement savings. The following outline of City-offered benefits serves as an overview and does not provide all provisions, limitations, and exclusions. If there is a contradiction between this and the official plan documents, the plan documents will prevail.

EMPLOYER PROVIDED BENEFITS:

Paid Vacation:

Vacation accruals, utilization, and payouts vary within each collective bargaining agreement and/or employee handbook. The following is the general overview of the vacation benefit:

• Vacation hours may be accrued to a maximum of 50 days or 400 hours.
• Hours are accrued incrementally each pay period.
• Vacation hours may be taken in 30-minute increments.
• Unused balance carries over year to year.

Years of Service - Vacation Days Per Year

0 - 5 years - 10 days

6 - 10 years - 15 days

11 - 14 years - 17 days

15 -20 years - 20 days

21 years - 21 days

22 years - 22 days

23 years - 23 days

24 years - 24 days

25 years - 25 days

26 years - 26 days

27 years - 27 days

28 years - 28 days

29 years - 29 days

30+ years - 30 days

Paid Sick Leave:

Employees earn 8 hours of sick leave per month.

11 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday:

All regular full-time employees of the City, except those who are governed by a union contract or different holiday policy, receive the following paid holidays:

1. New Years Day

2. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

3. Presidents Day

4. Memorial Day

5. Juneteenth

6. Independence Day

7. Labor Day

8. Veterans Day

9. Thanksgiving Day

10. Friday After Thanksgiving Day

11. Christmas Day

12. Floating Holiday

Health Insurance Coverage Through Blue Cross/Blue Shield of MN:

• Health insurance plans to choose from: $5,000 HDHP with an HSA, $3,400 HDHP with an HSA, $500 CMM, $100 CMM/Traditional Plan

• Single Coverage

• The City will contribute 95% of the premium for the IRS Minimum Embedded Deductible Plan.

• The City will contribute 100% of the premium for the alternative High-Deductible plan.

• For all other single coverage plan options, the City will contribute at the same premium rate as the IRS minimum embedded deductible plan.

• Dependent Coverage (Employee + Spouse, Employee + Children, or Family)

The City will contribute 90% of the premium of each High-Deductible Plan option. All other plan options the City will contribute at the same premium rate as the IRS minimum embedded deductible plan.

• Employee Responsibility

• Employees are responsible for paying the remaining percentage of premiums, which will be deducted through payroll, on a bi-weekly basis.

• City contributions for union members will follow negotiated contract language.

Employer and employee contributions for non-union employees are shown below. Please note that union employee health insurance benefits may vary by contract.

NICE Healthcare (Free to all full-time employees):

NICE Healthcare is an integrated primary care clinic - meaning NICE offers almost all of the services of a traditional primary care clinic and then some. And better yet, NICE brings that care to your home, office, or wherever you happen to be.

Offers employees and their household members an amazing healthcare benefit with no out-of-pocket fees. Below are the comprehensive primary care services that NICE offers:

• Same-Day Chat and Video Visits
• In-Home Visits with 35 Free Labs and Physical Tests
• 550+ Free Medications Can Be Prescribed by Our Clinicians
• Free Virtual Physical Therapy
• Free Virtual Mental Health Therapy
• Free In-Home X-rays and EKG Services

Minnesota Paid Family Medical Leave

Minnesota Paid Family Medical Leave is a benefit for employees to be able to have paid time off (with partial wage replacement) and job protection for employees who need to take leave for certain medical or family-care reasons. This is a State required benefit for all employers in the State of Minnesota. Premium contributions for this benefit will be at a shared cost to the City and the employee. Premium rates for 2026 are .78% of gross earnings. This will be split 50/50. Employees will see a .39% of gross wages after tax deduction.

Term Life Insurance:

The City provides a term life insurance policy at no cost to the employee. (Face value is 125% of employees base salary up to a maximum of face value of $50,000).

Retirement - PERA (Public Employees Retirement Association)

1. Must participate as directed by Minnesota Statutes.

2. Employer and employee contribution rates vary depending on position.

3. May obtain refund of employee contribution on termination of service.

2026 Employer/Employee PERA Contribution Rates - Effective January 1, 2026

Contributions are calculated on gross bi-weekly salary each pay period.

Coordinated Plan

Employer: 7.5%

Employee 6.5%

Police and Fire Plan

Employer: 17.7%

Employee 11.8%

OPTIONAL VOLUNTARY BENEFITS AVAILABLE:

The following benefits are available on an elective basis at the employees choice:

Deferred Compensation Plans (457)

Plans available through Mission Square Retirement, Nationwide Retirement Solutions, and MN State Deferred Compensation Plan.

Health Care and Day Care Flexible Spending Accounts

Computer Purchase Program

0% interest for up to 3 years (max. $3,500) to purchase a home computer

Voluntary Payroll Deductions Available for:

• Dental Insurance - Coverage through MetLife - 100% employee cost
• Vision Insurance - Coverage through MetLife - 100% employee cost
• YMCA membership at corporate rates
• Savings Bonds
• Various voluntary group life and disability plans.
• AFLAC

Credit Union Membership - Eligible for membership

• MN Valley Federal Credit Union
• Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union

Vacation Purchase Program

Employees may purchase additional vacation time (limits apply).

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

In Addition:

The City of Mankato is a qualifying employer of the Student Loan Forgiveness Program.

Questions regarding benefit information can be directed to Human Resources at 507-387-8664.

01

The following supplemental information may be used as a scored evaluation of your knowledge, skills and experience. Be certain that the choices you make correspond to the information you have provided in your application. By completing this supplemental questionnaire you are attesting that the information you have provided is true and accurate. Any information provided may be reviewed by the hiring manager. Any misstatements or falsification of information will eliminate you from consideration or may result in dismissal. Do you understand and agree with this statement?

• Yes
• No

02

Will you be 19 years of age or older when the job starts?

• Yes
• No

03

Have you received a high school diploma or GED?

• Yes
• No

04

Select the option below that best describes the status of your drivers license.

• I have a valid drivers license
• I have a valid CDL drivers license, Class A
• I have a valid CDL drivers license, Class A with passenger endorsement
• I have a valid CDL drivers license, Class B
• I have a valid CDL drivers license, Class B with passenger endorsement
• I do not currently possess a valid drivers license

05

If you have a commercial drivers license, are you able to legally operate a bus equipped with air brakes? Please note, this requires a passenger endorsement and that your license not have the air brake restriction listed on the back of your license. (If you do not have a CDL, select No.)

• Yes
• No

06

If you have a Class B CDL, are you eligible to operate buses greater than 26,001 GVWR with capacity of 24 passengers and above? If you do not have a CDL, select No. If you do have a Class A CDL with passenger endorsement, select Yes.

• Yes
• No

07

Do you have a driving record clear of revocations, suspensions, and cancellations for the past three (3) years?

• Yes
• No

08

Are you able to perform the physical and mental demands of the position?

• Yes
• No

09

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: If selected as a finalist, are you willing to undergo a background investigation which will include, but not limited to: verification of employment and education records, identification verification, criminal history, drivers license record, pre-employment physical examination and drug testing?

• Yes
• No

10

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: This position must possess (or obtain with 60 days of employment) a Class B CDL with passenger endorsements and free of air brake restriction for buses larger than 15 people including the driver or 26,001 pounds gross vehicle weight and be able to drive. Are you able to obtain the required Class B CDL within 60 days of employment?

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer City of Mankato

Address PO Box 3368

Mankato, Minnesota, 56002

Phone 507-387-8531

Website http://www.mankatomn.gov/jobs