School Bus Monitors Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for school bus monitorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $35,150 ≈ $17/hr
National median salary $35,100
Total employment 78,420 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth -2.7%
Decline
Annual openings 12,600 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 71,400 → 69,500 (-2,000)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$44,330
- Oregon$41,810
- Maryland$40,760
- District of Columbia$40,750
- Vermont$40,470
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$24,460
- Louisiana$26,070
- South Carolina$26,730
- Kentucky$27,180
- Oklahoma$28,140
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $44,330 | $42,330 | $21 | +26.1% | 470 |
| 2 | Oregon | $41,810 | $40,900 | $20 | +18.9% | 380 |
| 3 | Maryland | $40,760 | $38,750 | $20 | +16% | 2,370 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $40,750 | $41,720 | $20 | +15.9% | — |
| 5 | Vermont | $40,470 | $39,020 | $19 | +15.1% | 70 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $40,350 | $40,250 | $19 | +14.8% | 220 |
| 7 | California | $40,120 | $38,360 | $19 | +14.1% | 1,260 |
| 8 | Utah | $39,830 | $38,020 | $19 | +13.3% | 470 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $39,350 | $36,250 | $19 | +11.9% | 330 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $38,740 | $38,590 | $19 | +10.2% | 790 |
| 11 | Maine | $38,330 | $38,060 | $18 | +9% | 160 |
| 12 | Delaware | $38,250 | $36,560 | $18 | +8.8% | 280 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $38,170 | $38,480 | $18 | +8.6% | 120 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $37,740 | $36,810 | $18 | +7.4% | 330 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $37,580 | $35,350 | $18 | +6.9% | 1,520 |
| 16 | New York | $37,460 | $36,910 | $18 | +6.6% | 19,090 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $37,440 | $34,750 | $18 | +6.5% | 480 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $37,340 | $36,020 | $18 | +6.2% | 2,300 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $37,010 | $35,910 | $18 | +5.3% | — |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $36,710 | $37,620 | $18 | +4.4% | 120 |
| 21 | Virginia | $36,690 | $36,510 | $18 | +4.4% | 1,920 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $36,490 | $36,100 | $18 | +3.8% | 6,100 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $35,870 | $36,640 | $17 | +2% | 310 |
| 24 | Alaska | $35,250 | $33,990 | $17 | +0.3% | 260 |
| 25 | Montana | $35,230 | $34,740 | $17 | +0.2% | 200 |
| 26 | Arizona | $34,970 | $34,560 | $17 | -0.5% | 1,570 |
| 27 | Ohio | $34,890 | $28,110 | $17 | -0.7% | 1,000 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $34,660 | $35,290 | $17 | -1.4% | 3,180 |
| 29 | Illinois | $34,380 | $33,840 | $17 | -2.2% | 6,930 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $34,330 | $34,380 | $17 | -2.3% | 140 |
| 31 | Florida | $34,290 | $34,110 | $16 | -2.4% | 4,080 |
| 32 | Colorado | $34,100 | $33,540 | $16 | -3% | 150 |
| 33 | Michigan | $34,080 | $32,480 | $16 | -3% | 1,860 |
| 34 | Indiana | $33,300 | $33,590 | $16 | -5.3% | 2,020 |
| 35 | Missouri | $33,250 | $34,220 | $16 | -5.4% | 1,530 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $33,220 | $32,970 | $16 | -5.5% | 1,360 |
| 37 | Idaho | $32,560 | $32,230 | $16 | -7.4% | 340 |
| 38 | Iowa | $32,260 | $32,740 | $16 | -8.2% | 520 |
| 39 | Nevada | $32,230 | $29,230 | $16 | -8.3% | 160 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $30,770 | $28,260 | $15 | -12.5% | 780 |
| 41 | Kansas | $30,700 | $29,420 | $15 | -12.7% | 1,240 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $30,170 | $27,250 | $15 | -14.2% | 830 |
| 43 | Texas | $29,600 | $29,300 | $14 | -15.8% | 2,610 |
| 44 | Alabama | $29,570 | $28,210 | $14 | -15.9% | 130 |
| 45 | Georgia | $28,830 | $30,130 | $14 | -18% | 2,870 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $28,140 | $28,130 | $14 | -19.9% | 720 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $27,180 | $28,220 | $13 | -22.7% | 370 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $26,730 | $26,240 | $13 | -24% | 1,180 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $26,070 | $25,250 | $13 | -25.8% | 1,170 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $24,460 | $23,500 | $12 | -30.4% | 540 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 228 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $47,170 | $49,210 | 190 |
| 2 | Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $46,090 | $47,920 | 70 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $43,250 | $44,050 | 140 |
| 4 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $43,110 | $41,280 | 100 |
| 5 | Rochester, MN | $41,720 | $41,990 | 70 |
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $41,720 | $41,690 | 2,220 |
| 7 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $41,660 | $40,900 | 60 |
| 8 | Lexington Park, MD | $41,490 | $39,680 | 90 |
| 9 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $41,490 | $43,110 | 210 |
| 10 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $41,050 | $41,500 | 40 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing school bus monitorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urban Transit Systems | $41,370 | $42,570 | 100 |
| 2 | Other Schools and Instruction | $37,520 | $38,000 | 40 |
| 3 | Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $37,180 | $32,660 | 50 |
| 4 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, State Government Owned | $36,770 | $37,700 | 60 |
| 5 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $36,770 | $37,930 | 120 |
| 6 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $36,750 | $37,290 | 2,200 |
| 7 | Educational Support Services, Privately Owned | $36,750 | $38,670 | 1,570 |
| 8 | Educational Support Services | $36,560 | $35,860 | 2,330 |
| 9 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $36,330 | $37,300 | 6,730 |
| 10 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $36,330 | $37,300 | 6,730 |
| 11 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $36,320 | $37,270 | 6,700 |
| 12 | School and Employee Bus Transportation | $35,650 | $35,760 | 35,140 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do school bus monitors make in the U.S.?
The median school bus monitors salary in the United States is $35,100 per year (mean $35,150), and about 80% earn between $28,130 and $43,250.
How much do school bus monitors make per hour?
Roughly $17 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $35,150 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays school bus monitors the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for school bus monitors at $44,330 per year (median $42,330).
What is the job outlook for school bus monitors?
Employment is projected to change -2.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 12,600 openings per year.