The median pay for Crossing Guards and Flaggers is $38,100 a year ($18.32/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 3.5% through 2035, with about 17,300 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 33-9091
- Protective Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Crossing Guard and Flagger in four numbers
- Median pay
- $38,100a year, or $18.32/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $31KTop 10% $62K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.5%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 17,30094,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202594.8K
- Projected 203598.1K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 94.8K Projected 2035 98.1K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school18%
- High school72.8%
- Certificate3.2%
- Some college6%
Highest education held by crossing guards and flaggers Segment Value Less than high school 18% High school 72.8% Certificate 3.2% Some college 6%
Also advertised as: Adult Crossing Guard, Community Service Officer, Crossing Guard, Road Crossing Guard, School Crossing Guard, Substitute Crossing Guard.
Pay
How much do Crossing Guards and Flaggers make?
Every crossing guard and flagger in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$38,100
Middle half earn $34,430 to $47,540
- 10th
- $30,840
- 25th
- $34,430
- 75th
- $47,540
- 90th
- $61,690
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $30,840 |
| 25th | $34,430 |
| Median | $38,100 |
| 75th | $47,540 |
| 90th | $61,690 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $38,100
- Median hourly wage
- $18.32/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $43,350
- People employed
- 94,360
Versus all US occupations
At $38,100, Crossing Guards and Flaggers earn 25% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $12,880 a year.
Versus protective service occupations
Inside the Protective Service group, where the middle occupation pays $74,060, this is 49% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $61,690 or more while the bottom 10% earn $30,840, a gap of 2.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 5% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
North Dakota pays the most at $60,230, and still leads at $67,705 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Crossing Guards and Flaggers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1North Dakota | $60,230 | $67,705 | 50 |
| 2California | $50,610 | $45,710 | 9,390 |
| 3Washington | $48,940 | $45,733 | 3,340 |
| 4Minnesota | $48,100 | $48,773 | 260 |
| 5Oregon | $47,110 | $45,578 | 2,250 |
| 6Wyoming | $47,070 | $50,782 | 160 |
| 7South Dakota | $46,940 | $52,988 | 60 |
| 8New Hampshire | $45,980 | $44,142 | 440 |
| 9Vermont | $45,410 | $46,357 | 340 |
| 10New York | $44,730 | $41,447 | 10,430 |
Job outlook
Is Crossing Guard and Flagger a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Crossing Guards and Flaggers | +3.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Crossing Guards and Flaggers to change 3.5% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 3,300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 17,300 openings are projected each year, 18.2% of the 94,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Crossing Guard and Flagger
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as crossing guards and flaggers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)72.8%
- Less than a High School Diploma18%
- Some College Courses6%
- Post-Secondary Certificate3.2%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 72.8% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 18% |
| Some College Courses | 6% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 3.2% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Crossing Guard and Flagger do?
Guide or control vehicular or pedestrian traffic at such places as streets, schools, railroad crossings, or construction sites.
Day-to-day tasks
- Direct or escort pedestrians across streets, stopping traffic, as necessary.
- Communicate traffic and crossing rules and other information to students and adults.
- Guide or control vehicular or pedestrian traffic at such places as street and railroad crossings and construction sites.
- Report unsafe behavior of children to school officials.
- Monitor traffic flow to locate safe gaps through which pedestrians can cross streets.
- Record license numbers of vehicles disregarding traffic signals, and report infractions to appropriate authorities.
- Direct traffic movement or warn of hazards, using signs, flags, lanterns, and hand signals.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayRarely works in a climate-controlled indoor space.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking3.1
- Active Listening2.9
- Monitoring2.9
- Critical Thinking2.8
- Reading Comprehension2.3
- Active Learning2.3
- Writing2.0
- Learning Strategies1.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 2.9 |
| Monitoring | 2.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.3 |
| Active Learning | 2.3 |
| Writing | 2.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 1.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Coordination2.8
- Service Orientation2.8
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8
- Complex Problem Solving2.4
- Persuasion2.1
- Negotiation2.1
- Time Management2.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 2.8 |
| Service Orientation | 2.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.4 |
| Persuasion | 2.1 |
| Negotiation | 2.1 |
| Time Management | 2.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Human resources software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Crossing Guard and Flagger?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Crossing Guard and Flagger |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic5.9
- Conventional3.6
- Social3.1
- Enterprising3.0
- Investigative1.6
- Artistic1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Crossing Guard and Flagger
O*NET related occupations
- Protective Service
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
- Transportation and Material Moving
More protective service careers
Median annual pay, with crossing guards and flaggers highlighted
- Detective and Criminal Investigator$93,790
- Intelligence Analyst$93,790
- Police Officer$76,210
- Custom and Border Protection Officer$76,210
- Firefighter$59,280
- Correctional Officer and Jailer$58,940
- Private Detective and Investigator$51,220
- Crossing Guard and Flagger$38,100
- Security Guard$38,020
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $93,790 |
| Intelligence Analyst | $93,790 |
| Police Officer | $76,210 |
| Custom and Border Protection Officer | $76,210 |
| Firefighter | $59,280 |
| Correctional Officer and Jailer | $58,940 |
| Private Detective and Investigator | $51,220 |
| Crossing Guard and Flagger | $38,100 |
| Security Guard | $38,020 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Crossing Guard and Flagger appears on
Questions
Crossing Guard and Flagger: frequently asked questions
How much do Crossing Guards and Flaggers make?
Crossing Guards and Flaggers earn a median of $38,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 25% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $18.32/hr. The middle half earn between $34,430 and $47,540. The top 10% earn $61,690 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Crossing Guard and Flagger?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Crossing Guards and Flaggers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 72.8% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Crossing Guard and Flagger a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.5% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 17,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Crossing Guard and Flagger do?
Guide or control vehicular or pedestrian traffic at such places as streets, schools, railroad crossings, or construction sites. A core O*NET task: direct or escort pedestrians across streets, stopping traffic, as necessary. Employers most often ask for Word processing software.
Which states pay Crossing Guards and Flaggers the most?
The highest state medians for Crossing Guards and Flaggers are North Dakota ($60,230), California ($50,610), Washington ($48,940) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Crossing Guard and Flagger?
O*NET scores Crossing Guards and Flaggers highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ESTJ, ISFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.