Career comparison
Passenger Attendant vs. School Bus Monitor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Passenger attendants earn more at the median ($37,720 vs. $35,100), while passenger attendants usually get to work faster (A few days to weeks of training). Passenger attendants help passengers on trains, buses, ships and in airports. School bus monitors ride school buses to keep students safe and help them on and off.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Passenger Attendant | School Bus Monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $37,720 ($18.14/hr) | $35,100 ($16.88/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $27,970 – $46,590 | $28,130 – $43,250 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +6.0% (faster than average) | -1.9% (a projected decline) |
| Openings per year | 4,300 | 13,400 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Training time | A few days to weeks | A few days to weeks |
| Key credential | Passenger assistance training | Monitor training |
| Work setting | Attendants work in airports, on trains, buses and ships.. | Monitors work on school buses.. |
What each job does
Passenger Attendant
- Help passengers board
- Push wheelchairs
- Answer questions
- Serve food and drinks
- Make announcements
School Bus Monitor
- Help students board and exit
- Secure wheelchairs and seats
- Manage behavior
- Assist students with disabilities
- Communicate with drivers
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with people and helping others. Both are part of the transportation & logistics field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose passenger attendant if…
- I like helping travelers
- I’m patient
- I’m friendly
Choose school bus monitor if…
- I like kids
- I’m patient
- I stay calm
Still torn? Take the Passenger Attendant fit quiz and the School Bus Monitor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, passenger attendant or school bus monitor?
Passenger Attendants earn more at the median: $37,720 versus $35,100 for school bus monitors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Passenger Attendants typically train faster (A few days to weeks) than school bus monitors (A few days to weeks).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects passenger attendants to grow +6.0% from 2025–35, compared with -1.9% for school bus monitors.