Protective service
Crossing guards and flaggers
Guide or control vehicular or pedestrian traffic at such places as streets, schools, railroad crossings, or construction sites.
Median pay
$38,100
Growth to 2035
+4%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
17,300
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Crossing guards and flaggers
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Exposure to disease
Crossing guards and flaggers: 0% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Direct or escort pedestrians across streets, stopping traffic, as necessary.
- Guide or control vehicular or pedestrian traffic at such places as street and railroad crossings and construction sites.
- Monitor traffic flow to locate safe gaps through which pedestrians can cross streets.
- Communicate traffic and crossing rules and other information to students and adults.
- Direct traffic movement or warn of hazards, using signs, flags, lanterns, and hand signals.
- Report unsafe behavior of children to school officials.
- Record license numbers of vehicles disregarding traffic signals, and report infractions to appropriate authorities.
Also called: Adult Crossing Guard · Community Service Officer · Crossing Guard · Road Crossing Guard · School Crossing Guard · Substitute Crossing Guard
Outlook and AI
Crossing guards and flaggers held 94,800 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 98,100 by 2035 (+4%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Crossing guards and flaggers vs. Transit and railroad police
- Crossing guards and flaggers vs. Subway and streetcar operators
- Crossing guards and flaggers vs. Railroad conductors and yardmasters
- Crossing guards and flaggers vs. Security guard
- Crossing guards and flaggers vs. Parking enforcement worker
- Crossing guards and flaggers vs. Bridge and lock tenders
- Crossing guards and flaggers vs. Locomotive engineer
- Crossing guards and flaggers vs. Transportation security screener
- Crossing guards and flaggers vs. Bus drivers, transit and intercity
- Crossing guards and flaggers vs. Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers