School Bus Monitors Salary
The median pay for a school bus monitors in Texas is $29,300/year ($14.09/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $32,025 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 64.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $29K get you in Texas?
About school bus monitors
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What this looks like in Texas
Pay for school bus monitors in Texas runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 66.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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, Texas
Entry-level school bus monitors (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
School Bus Monitors salary by metro in Texas
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $33K | +13% | 160 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $30K | +3% | 130 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $30K | +3% | 60 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $30K | +1% | 900 |
| El Paso | $30K | +1% | 130 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $29K | -2% | 150 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $29K | -2% | 470 |
| Killeen-Temple | $26K | -11% | 50 |
Compare to other states
Track school bus monitors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a school bus monitor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 66.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/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 Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new school bus monitors typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,402/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 101% 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 Texas?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $29K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for school bus monitors?
Texas pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do school bus monitors make in Texas?
The median is $29,300 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,360, and experienced school bus monitors can clear $37,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,132/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 66.4% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $32,025 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.