Protective service
School bus monitor
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.
Median pay
$35,100
Growth to 2035
−2%
little or no change
Openings a year
13,400
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
School bus monitor
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- 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 sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Exposure to disease
School bus monitor: 15% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Buckle seatbelts or fasten wheelchair tie-down straps to secure passengers for transportation.
- Escort young children across roads or highways.
- Assist children with disabilities or children with psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues with boarding and exiting the school bus.
- Monitor the conduct of students to maintain discipline and safety.
- Evacuate students from the school bus in emergency situations.
- Direct students boarding and exiting the school bus.
- Direct students evacuating the bus during safety drills.
- Operate a wheelchair lift to load or unload wheelchairs.
Also called: Bus Aide · Bus Assistant · Bus Attendant · Bus Monitor · Bus Paraeducator · School Bus Aide · School Transportation Aide · SPED Bus Aide (Special Ed Bus Aide)
Outlook and AI
School bus monitors held 76,700 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 75,300 by 2035 (−2%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
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