SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Maintain order among students on a school bus. Duties include helping students safely board and exit and communicating behavioral problems. May perform pretrip and posttrip inspections and prepare for and assist in emergency evacuations.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 33-9094.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $28,130 | $2,344 | $541 | $13.52 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $31,760 | $2,647 | $611 | $15.27 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $35,100 | $2,925 | $675 | $16.88 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $37,760 | $3,147 | $726 | $18.15 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $43,250 | $3,604 | $832 | $20.79 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for School Bus Monitors is $35,100, which is 31% lower. Among the 24 occupations of the field Protective Service, it ranks number 23 by median pay. With 78,420 jobs, it makes up about 5.0 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
School Bus Monitors pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($42,330), District of Columbia ($41,720) and Oregon ($40,900). The lowest was in Mississippi ($23,500), Louisiana ($25,250) and South Carolina ($26,240). The most jobs were in New York (19,090), Illinois (6,930) and New Jersey (6,100). The occupation is most concentrated in New York, where its share of all jobs is 3.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 470 | $42,330 | $44,330 | $20.35 |
| District of Columbia | not published | $41,720 | $40,750 | $20.06 |
| Oregon | 380 | $40,900 | $41,810 | $19.66 |
| Hawaii | 220 | $40,250 | $40,350 | $19.35 |
| Vermont | 70 | $39,020 | $40,470 | $18.76 |
| Maryland | 2,370 | $38,750 | $40,760 | $18.63 |
| Minnesota | 790 | $38,590 | $38,740 | $18.56 |
| North Dakota | 120 | $38,480 | $38,170 | $18.50 |
| California | 1,260 | $38,360 | $40,120 | $18.44 |
| Maine | 160 | $38,060 | $38,330 | $18.30 |
| Utah | 470 | $38,020 | $39,830 | $18.28 |
| New Hampshire | 120 | $37,620 | $36,710 | $18.09 |
| New York | 19,090 | $36,910 | $37,460 | $17.74 |
| Wyoming | 330 | $36,810 | $37,740 | $17.70 |
| Wisconsin | 310 | $36,640 | $35,870 | $17.61 |
| Delaware | 280 | $36,560 | $38,250 | $17.58 |
| Virginia | 1,920 | $36,510 | $36,690 | $17.56 |
| New Mexico | 330 | $36,250 | $39,350 | $17.43 |
| New Jersey | 6,100 | $36,100 | $36,490 | $17.35 |
| Massachusetts | 2,300 | $36,020 | $37,340 | $17.32 |
| Rhode Island | not published | $35,910 | $37,010 | $17.27 |
| Connecticut | 1,520 | $35,350 | $37,580 | $16.99 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,180 | $35,290 | $34,660 | $16.97 |
| Nebraska | 480 | $34,750 | $37,440 | $16.71 |
| Montana | 200 | $34,740 | $35,230 | $16.70 |
| Arizona | 1,570 | $34,560 | $34,970 | $16.62 |
| South Dakota | 140 | $34,380 | $34,330 | $16.53 |
| Missouri | 1,530 | $34,220 | $33,250 | $16.45 |
| Florida | 4,080 | $34,110 | $34,290 | $16.40 |
| Alaska | 260 | $33,990 | $35,250 | $16.34 |
| Illinois | 6,930 | $33,840 | $34,380 | $16.27 |
| Indiana | 2,020 | $33,590 | $33,300 | $16.15 |
| Colorado | 150 | $33,540 | $34,100 | $16.12 |
| North Carolina | 1,360 | $32,970 | $33,220 | $15.85 |
| Iowa | 520 | $32,740 | $32,260 | $15.74 |
| Michigan | 1,860 | $32,480 | $34,080 | $15.62 |
| Idaho | 340 | $32,230 | $32,560 | $15.49 |
| Georgia | 2,870 | $30,130 | $28,830 | $14.48 |
| Kansas | 1,240 | $29,420 | $30,700 | $14.15 |
| Texas | 2,610 | $29,300 | $29,600 | $14.09 |
| Nevada | 160 | $29,230 | $32,230 | $14.05 |
| Arkansas | 780 | $28,260 | $30,770 | $13.59 |
| Kentucky | 370 | $28,220 | $27,180 | $13.57 |
| Alabama | 130 | $28,210 | $29,570 | $13.56 |
| Oklahoma | 720 | $28,130 | $28,140 | $13.52 |
| Ohio | 1,000 | $28,110 | $34,890 | $13.51 |
| Tennessee | 830 | $27,250 | $30,170 | $13.10 |
| South Carolina | 1,180 | $26,240 | $26,730 | $12.62 |
| Louisiana | 1,170 | $25,250 | $26,070 | $12.14 |
| Mississippi | 540 | $23,500 | $24,460 | $11.30 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Protective Service Workers, All Other$42,540 a year
- Crossing Guards and Flaggers$38,100 a year
- Security Guards$38,020 a year
- Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers$33,580 a year
Common questions
How much do School Bus Monitors earn in the United States?
The median pay was $35,100 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $28,130 and the highest-paid 10% more than $43,250.
How many people work as School Bus Monitors?
About 78,420 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.