School Bus Monitors Salary
The median pay for a school bus monitors in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA is $40,710/year ($19.57/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers.
So what does $41K get you in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater’s Regional Price Parity (103.7). 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 school bus monitors
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What this looks like in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater sits well above the national pay line for school bus monitors, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,960/month, which is 67.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.7) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for school bus monitors in metros near Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $47K | , |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $36K | , |
| Kennewick-Richland | $42K | , |
| Boise City | $30K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
Entry-level school bus monitors (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
School Bus Monitors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View School Bus Monitors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $42K | +21% | 470 |
| District of Columbia | $42K | +19% | N/A |
| Oregon | $41K | +17% | 380 |
| Hawaii | $40K | +15% | 220 |
| Vermont | $39K | +11% | 70 |
| Maryland | $39K | +10% | 2,370 |
| Minnesota | $39K | +10% | 790 |
| North Dakota | $38K | +10% | 120 |
| California | $38K | +9% | 1,260 |
| Maine | $38K | +8% | 160 |
| Utah | $38K | +8% | 470 |
| New Hampshire | $38K | +7% | 120 |
| New York | $37K | +5% | 19,090 |
| Wyoming | $37K | +5% | 330 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | +4% | 310 |
| Delaware | $37K | +4% | 280 |
| Virginia | $37K | +4% | 1,920 |
| New Mexico | $36K | +3% | 330 |
| New Jersey | $36K | +3% | 6,100 |
| Massachusetts | $36K | +3% | 2,300 |
| Rhode Island | $36K | +2% | N/A |
| Connecticut | $35K | +1% | 1,520 |
| Pennsylvania | $35K | +1% | 3,180 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -1% | 480 |
| Montana | $35K | -1% | 200 |
| Arizona | $35K | -2% | 1,570 |
| South Dakota | $34K | -2% | 140 |
| Missouri | $34K | -3% | 1,530 |
| Florida | $34K | -3% | 4,080 |
| Alaska | $34K | -3% | 260 |
| Illinois | $34K | -4% | 6,930 |
| Indiana | $34K | -4% | 2,020 |
| Colorado | $34K | -4% | 150 |
| North Carolina | $33K | -6% | 1,360 |
| Iowa | $33K | -7% | 520 |
| Michigan | $32K | -7% | 1,860 |
| Idaho | $32K | -8% | 340 |
| Georgia | $30K | -14% | 2,870 |
| Kansas | $29K | -16% | 1,240 |
| Texas | $29K | -17% | 2,610 |
| Nevada | $29K | -17% | 160 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -19% | 780 |
| Kentucky | $28K | -20% | 370 |
| Alabama | $28K | -20% | 130 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -20% | 720 |
| Ohio | $28K | -20% | 1,000 |
| Tennessee | $27K | -22% | 830 |
| South Carolina | $26K | -25% | 1,180 |
| Louisiana | $25K | -28% | 1,170 |
| Mississippi | $24K | -33% | 540 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track school bus monitors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a school bus monitor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 67.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,960/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new school bus monitors typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,119/month. At HUD’s $1,960/month FMR, rent would take 92% 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $41K here vs. $35K nationally.
How does Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater compare to the national average for school bus monitors?
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do school bus monitors make in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?
The median is $40,710 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,310, and experienced school bus monitors can clear $46,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,896/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,960/month, which eats 67.7% 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median school bus monitors salary is worth about $39,257 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.