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How Much Does a School Bus Monitor Make?

A school bus monitor in the US earns a median salary of $35,100 a year, or $16.88 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $35,150, and the middle half earn between $31,760 and $37,760.

Median a year $35,100
Median an hour $16.88
Median a month $2,925
Average a year $35,150

School bus monitor pay range

What school bus monitors earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $28,130 $13.52
25th $31,760 $15.27
Median (50th) $35,100 $16.88
75th $37,760 $18.15
90th (top 10%) $43,250 $20.79

The median is 31% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 78,420 people work as school bus monitors in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$675
Every two weeks
$1,350
Twice a month
$1,463
A month
$2,925

At the median salary, before tax.

School bus monitor salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Washington pays school bus monitors the most, at $44,330 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Washington $44,330 $42,330 470 After tax
Oregon $41,810 $40,900 380 After tax
Maryland $40,760 $38,750 2,370 After tax
District of Columbia $40,750 $41,720 – After tax
Vermont $40,470 $39,020 70 After tax
Hawaii $40,350 $40,250 220 After tax
California $40,120 $38,360 1,260 After tax
Utah $39,830 $38,020 470 After tax
New Mexico $39,350 $36,250 330 After tax
Minnesota $38,740 $38,590 790 After tax
Maine $38,330 $38,060 160 After tax
Delaware $38,250 $36,560 280 After tax
North Dakota $38,170 $38,480 120 After tax
Wyoming $37,740 $36,810 330 After tax
Connecticut $37,580 $35,350 1,520 After tax
New York $37,460 $36,910 19,090 After tax
Nebraska $37,440 $34,750 480 After tax
Massachusetts $37,340 $36,020 2,300 After tax
Rhode Island $37,010 $35,910 – After tax
New Hampshire $36,710 $37,620 120 After tax
Virginia $36,690 $36,510 1,920 After tax
New Jersey $36,490 $36,100 6,100 After tax
Wisconsin $35,870 $36,640 310 After tax
Alaska $35,250 $33,990 260 After tax
Montana $35,230 $34,740 200 After tax
Arizona $34,970 $34,560 1,570 After tax
Ohio $34,890 $28,110 1,000 After tax
Pennsylvania $34,660 $35,290 3,180 After tax
Illinois $34,380 $33,840 6,930 After tax
South Dakota $34,330 $34,380 140 After tax
Florida $34,290 $34,110 4,080 After tax
Colorado $34,100 $33,540 150 After tax
Michigan $34,080 $32,480 1,860 After tax
Indiana $33,300 $33,590 2,020 After tax
Missouri $33,250 $34,220 1,530 After tax
North Carolina $33,220 $32,970 1,360 After tax
Idaho $32,560 $32,230 340 After tax
Iowa $32,260 $32,740 520 After tax
Nevada $32,230 $29,230 160 After tax
Arkansas $30,770 $28,260 780 After tax
Kansas $30,700 $29,420 1,240 After tax
Tennessee $30,170 $27,250 830 After tax
Texas $29,600 $29,300 2,610 After tax
Alabama $29,570 $28,210 130 After tax
Georgia $28,830 $30,130 2,870 After tax
Oklahoma $28,140 $28,130 720 After tax
Kentucky $27,180 $28,220 370 After tax
South Carolina $26,730 $26,240 1,180 After tax
Louisiana $26,070 $25,250 1,170 After tax
Mississippi $24,460 $23,500 540 After tax

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other protective service jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “School Bus Monitors” (SOC 33-9094). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a school bus monitor make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a school bus monitor is $16.88, and the average is $16.90. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $13.52 an hour and the top 10% over $20.79.

How much does a school bus monitor make a month?

At the median salary of $35,100, a school bus monitor earns about $2,925 a month before tax, or $1,350 every two weeks.

Which state pays school bus monitors the most?

Washington has the highest average pay for a school bus monitor, at $44,330 a year. Next are Oregon and Maryland. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a school bus monitor?

The lowest-paid 10% of school bus monitors earn less than $28,130 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $31,760. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid school bus monitors make?

The top 10% earn more than $43,250 a year, and the top 25% more than $37,760.