School Bus Monitors Salary
The median pay for a school bus monitors in Louisiana is $25,250/year ($12.14/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $17K at the entry level to $39K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $28,930 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,191/month, about 66.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $25K get you in Louisiana?
About school bus monitors
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Pay for school bus monitors in Louisiana runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,191/month, which is 66.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% 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, Louisiana
Entry-level school bus monitors (10th percentile) start around $17K. Mid-career wages sit at $25K. Top earners bring in $39K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
School Bus Monitors salary by metro in Louisiana
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles | $31K | +24% | 110 |
| Baton Rouge | $29K | +16% | 220 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $27K | +8% | N/A |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $25K | -1% | 250 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $17K | -32% | 30 |
Compare to other states
Track school bus monitors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a school bus monitor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $25K, rent takes 66.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $500/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 Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new school bus monitors typically earn — is $17K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,021/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 117% 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 Louisiana?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $25K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for school bus monitors?
Louisiana pays $25K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $29K — below the national median.
How much do school bus monitors make in Louisiana?
The median is $25,250 a year, that works out to about $12 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $17,020, and experienced school bus monitors can clear $39,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $25K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,801/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 66.1% 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 Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (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 $28,930 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.