School Bus Monitors Salary
The median pay for a school bus monitors in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is $34,620/year ($16.65/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $42K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.55), that's roughly $33,759 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,810/month, about 75.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $35K get you in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (102.55). 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
School bus monitors pay in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington tracks closely to the national median, $35K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,810/month, which is 75.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for school bus monitors in metros near Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | $35K | $37K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $37K | $37K |
| Lancaster | $33K | $34K |
| Reading | $36K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Entry-level school bus monitors (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $42K or more, a $10K 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 with published data
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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a school bus monitor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 75.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,810/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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new school bus monitors typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,933/month. At HUD’s $1,810/month FMR, rent would take 94% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $35K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington compare to the national average for school bus monitors?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do school bus monitors make in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
The median is $34,620 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,220, and experienced school bus monitors can clear $42,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,399/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,810/month, which eats 75.4% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 102.55 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median school bus monitors salary is worth about $33,759 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.