Protective Service
School Bus Monitors
Also called: Bus Aide, Bus Assistant, Bus Attendant, Bus Monitor
US median pay
$35,100
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-1.9%
declining
Openings a year (US)
13,400
76,700 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Maintain order among students on a school bus. Duties include helping students safely board and exit and communicating behavioral problems. May perform pretrip and posttrip inspections and prepare for and assist in emergency evacuations.
What they do day to day
- Buckle seatbelts or fasten wheelchair tie-down straps to secure passengers for transportation.
- Escort young children across roads or highways.
- Assist children with disabilities or children with psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues with boarding and exiting the school bus.
- Monitor the conduct of students to maintain discipline and safety.
- Evacuate students from the school bus in emergency situations.
- Direct students boarding and exiting the school bus.
- Direct students evacuating the bus during safety drills.
- Operate a wheelchair lift to load or unload wheelchairs.
- Report delays, accidents, or other traffic and transportation situations to dispatchers or other bus drivers, using phones or mobile two-way radios.
- Prevent or defuse altercations between students.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.2/5
- Service Orientation3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
- Coordination2.9/5
- Persuasion2.8/5
- Negotiation2.5/5
- Time Management2.4/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.2/5
Knowledge
- Public Safety and Security3.7/5
- English Language3.5/5
- Transportation3.3/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.2/5
- Education and Training2.9/5
- Psychology2.8/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.