School Bus Monitors Salary
The median pay for a school bus monitors in Indiana is $33,590/year ($16.15/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $39K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.81), which stretches that salary to about $36,586 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,144/month, about 49% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Indiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $34K get you in Indiana?
About school bus monitors
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Indiana
School bus monitors pay in Indiana tracks closely to the national median, $34K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,144/month, which is 49% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.81 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Indiana
Entry-level school bus monitors (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $39K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
School Bus Monitors salary by metro in Indiana
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart-Goshen | $36K | +9% | 80 |
| Evansville | $36K | +6% | 100 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $34K | +0% | 780 |
| Fort Wayne | $32K | -4% | 100 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette | $32K | -5% | 30 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $30K | -11% | 60 |
| Michigan City-La Porte | $29K | -14% | 30 |
| Kokomo | $24K | -28% | 30 |
Compare to other states
Track school bus monitors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Indiana numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a school bus monitor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Indiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 49% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,144/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 school bus monitors in Indiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new school bus monitors typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,658/month. At HUD’s $1,144/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Indiana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $34K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Indiana compare to the national average for school bus monitors?
Indiana pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.81), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do school bus monitors make in Indiana?
The median is $33,590 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,640, and experienced school bus monitors can clear $38,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Indiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,334/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,144/month, which eats 49% 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 Indiana?
Indiana has a Regional Price Parity of 91.81 (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 $36,586 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.