Crossing Guards and Flaggers Salary
Crossing Guards and Flaggers in Charleston, WV make a median of $32,390 a year, or about $15.57 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.72), which stretches that salary to about $36,508 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,036/month, about 46.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $32K get you in Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (88.72). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About crossing guards and flaggers
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What this looks like in Charleston
Pay for crossing guards and flaggers in Charleston runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $38K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,036/month, which is 45.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for crossing guards and flaggerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for crossing guards and flaggers in metros near Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Roanoke | $33K | $35K |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $36K | $39K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $37K | $36K |
| Pittsburgh | $36K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston, WV
Entry-level crossing guards and flaggers (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $32K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $53K spread from bottom to top.
Crossing Guards and Flaggers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Crossing Guards and Flaggers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $60K | +58% | 50 |
| California | $51K | +33% | 9,390 |
| Washington | $49K | +28% | 3,340 |
| Minnesota | $48K | +26% | 260 |
| Oregon | $47K | +24% | 2,250 |
| Wyoming | $47K | +24% | 160 |
| South Dakota | $47K | +23% | 60 |
| New Hampshire | $46K | +21% | 440 |
| Vermont | $45K | +19% | 340 |
| New York | $45K | +17% | 10,430 |
| Massachusetts | $43K | +14% | 1,700 |
| Hawaii | $43K | +12% | 230 |
| Connecticut | $42K | +10% | 1,670 |
| New Jersey | $42K | +9% | 7,270 |
| Iowa | $41K | +8% | 170 |
| District of Columbia | $41K | +7% | 520 |
| Maine | $40K | +5% | 1,140 |
| Idaho | $40K | +5% | 470 |
| Illinois | $39K | +2% | 2,240 |
| Nebraska | $38K | -0% | 110 |
| Colorado | $38K | -1% | 2,810 |
| Virginia | $38K | -1% | 1,940 |
| Indiana | $37K | -2% | 2,230 |
| Arizona | $37K | -2% | 2,170 |
| Ohio | $37K | -2% | 2,700 |
| Michigan | $37K | -4% | 2,150 |
| Delaware | $37K | -4% | 580 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -6% | 1,460 |
| Maryland | $36K | -6% | 3,420 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | -6% | 9,410 |
| Florida | $36K | -6% | 5,690 |
| Wisconsin | $36K | -7% | 990 |
| Utah | $35K | -7% | 1,890 |
| Kansas | $35K | -7% | 180 |
| Kentucky | $34K | -10% | 420 |
| Georgia | $34K | -10% | 2,030 |
| North Carolina | $34K | -11% | 2,760 |
| Missouri | $34K | -12% | 150 |
| Texas | $33K | -12% | 2,830 |
| West Virginia | $33K | -14% | 1,190 |
| South Carolina | $33K | -14% | 1,050 |
| Montana | $33K | -14% | 70 |
| Nevada | $31K | -17% | 1,500 |
| New Mexico | $31K | -17% | 510 |
| Rhode Island | $31K | -18% | N/A |
| Arkansas | $31K | -19% | N/A |
| Alabama | $29K | -23% | 250 |
| Oklahoma | $29K | -25% | 130 |
| Louisiana | $25K | -33% | 440 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track crossing guards and flaggers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a crossing guards and flagger afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $32K, rent takes 45.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,036/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for crossing guards and flaggers in Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crossing guards and flaggers typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,822/month. At HUD’s $1,036/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is crossing guards and flagger a high-paying job in Charleston?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $32K here vs. $38K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Charleston compare to the national average for crossing guards and flaggers?
Charleston pays $32K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — below the national median.
How much do crossing guards and flaggers make in Charleston, WV?
The median is $32,390 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,370, and experienced crossing guards and flaggers can clear $83,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $32K enough to live in Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,258/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,036/month, which eats 45.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a crossing guards and flaggers salary go in Charleston?
Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 88.72 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median crossing guards and flaggers salary is worth about $36,508 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do crossing guards and flaggers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.