Electric School Buses Create 150,000 Green Jobs Across U.S.

The yellow school bus is getting a green makeover, and it's bringing thousands of good-paying jobs along for the ride.

Since 2021, the electric vehicle sector has added nearly 150,000 jobs across the United States, with electric school buses playing a starring role. At least 18 manufacturing facilities now produce these battery-powered buses and their components, spanning 13 states from Georgia to California.

In Fort Valley, Georgia, the story hits home in a powerful way. Blue Bird, the town's largest employer, is transforming a closed diesel plant into an electric vehicle manufacturing facility. The $80 million project will preserve about 2,000 existing jobs and create 428 new manufacturing positions starting in 2028 in a county with fewer than 30,000 residents total.

The plant already assembles about 40 buses daily, with a quarter now running on batteries instead of diesel. Workers saw their pay jump as much as 40 percent last year after joining United Steelworkers, proving that green jobs can also be good jobs.

More than 800 school districts nationwide have now made the switch to electric buses, trading exhaust fumes for cleaner rides. This shift creates a ripple through supplier businesses like fabricators, wiring assemblers, and seat producers.

The Ripple Effect

The job opportunities extend far beyond the factory floor. Electric vehicles need skilled technicians who understand computerized systems and charging equipment, creating training opportunities in communities across the country.

At Cherokee Central High School in North Carolina, students in a summer program learn EV safety and maintenance by converting golf carts to solar and battery power. They're gaining hands-on experience with technology that mirrors larger electric vehicles, preparing them for careers in a growing field.

Bronx Community College in New York trains more than 300 students annually for work on hybrid and electric vehicles. Last October, the college announced a partnership with Waymo to add autonomous vehicle training, opening even more doors for its primarily low-income students.

The training need is real and urgent. Electric vehicles contain fewer moving parts than traditional vehicles but require new skills to maintain. Intentional upskilling programs ensure auto workers can transition into well-paying positions in the electric future.

Private investment tells the story of confidence in this sector. Between 2000 and 2024, $208 billion flowed into U.S. electric vehicle and battery manufacturing, with more than half arriving after the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022. Remarkably, 62% of EV investments since 2021 landed in economically distressed areas, bringing growth where it's needed most.

As battery recycling markets develop, even more American jobs will emerge in this growing green economy.