All About Crossing Guards

Occupation Description Guide or control vehicular or pedestrian traffic at such places as streets, schools, railroad crossings, or construction sites.

Life As a Crossing Guard

• Monitor traffic flow to locate safe gaps through which pedestrians can cross streets.
• Communicate traffic and crossing rules and other information to students and adults.
• Distribute traffic control signs and markers at designated points.
• Guide or control vehicular or pedestrian traffic at such places as street and railroad crossings and construction sites.
• Learn the location and purpose of street traffic signs within assigned patrol areas.
• Direct traffic movement or warn of hazards, using signs, flags, lanterns, and hand signals.

Crossing Guard Needed Skills

When polled, Crossing Guards say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Related Job Titles

• Train Gateman
• Substitute Crossing Guard
• School Traffic Supervisor
• Patrol Mother
• Crossing Flagman

Crossing Guard Employment Estimates

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 74,300 jobs in the United States for Crossing Guards.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.5% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 6,300 new jobs for Crossing Guards by 2026. The BLS estimates 14,500 yearly job openings in this field per year.

The states with the most job growth for Crossing Guards are Texas, New York, and California.

Watch out if you plan on working in New Jersey, Maine, or South Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Salary for Crossing Guards

The typical yearly salary for Crossing Guards is somewhere between $19,320 and $47,810. The median salary is $28,960.

How much do Crossing Guards make in different U.S. states?

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alaska	$53,960
Washington	$50,970
Minnesota	$41,000
California	$37,450
New York	$37,220
Rhode Island	$35,550
District of Columbia	$34,890
Wyoming	$34,570
Tennessee	$34,540
Illinois	$34,010
Massachusetts	$33,840
Oregon	$33,560
Delaware	$33,280
New Jersey	$32,920
New Hampshire	$32,750
North Dakota	$32,510
Wisconsin	$32,100
Colorado	$31,420
Vermont	$31,230
Hawaii	$30,870
Iowa	$30,260
Pennsylvania	$30,210
Missouri	$30,000
Virginia	$29,900
Montana	$29,900
Georgia	$29,780
Ohio	$29,650
Kansas	$29,500
South Dakota	$29,200
Maryland	$28,350
Kentucky	$27,670
Idaho	$27,520
Nevada	$27,470
Indiana	$26,650
Utah	$26,100
Florida	$25,230
New Mexico	$24,980
Maine	$24,840
Michigan	$24,670
Louisiana	$24,450
North Carolina	$24,220
South Carolina	$24,170
Mississippi	$23,850
Nebraska	$23,660
Arizona	$23,300
Texas	$23,050
Alabama	$22,770
Arkansas	$21,710
Oklahoma	$21,660

Tools & Technologies Used by Crossing Guards

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Crossing Guards:

• Microsoft Word

Becoming a Crossing Guard

Education needed to be a Crossing Guard:

How Long Does it Take to Become Crossing Guard?

Where Crossing Guards Are Employed

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons