School Bus Monitors Salary
The median pay for a school bus monitors in Alabama is $28,210/year ($13.56/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $42K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.36), which stretches that salary to about $31,926 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,085/month, about 54.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Alabama. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $28K get you in Alabama?
About school bus monitors
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What this looks like in Alabama
Pay for school bus monitors in Alabama runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,085/month, which is 55.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.36 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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 school bus monitorss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Alabama
Entry-level school bus monitors (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $28K. Top earners bring in $42K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track school bus monitors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Alabama numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a school bus monitor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Alabama?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $28K, rent takes 55.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,085/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for school bus monitors in Alabama?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new school bus monitors typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,435/month. At HUD’s $1,085/month FMR, rent would take 76% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is school bus monitor a high-paying job in Alabama?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $28K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Alabama compare to the national average for school bus monitors?
Alabama pays $28K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.36), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do school bus monitors make in Alabama?
The median is $28,210 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,920, and experienced school bus monitors can clear $41,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $28K enough to live in Alabama?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,955/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,085/month, which eats 55.5% 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 school bus monitors salary go in Alabama?
Alabama has a Regional Price Parity of 88.36 (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 school bus monitors salary is worth about $31,926 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do school bus monitors 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.