Life As a Crossing Guard
Career Description Guide or control vehicular or pedestrian traffic at such places as streets, schools, railroad crossings, or construction sites.
Life As a Crossing Guard: What Do They Do?
- Direct traffic movement or warn of hazards, using signs, flags, lanterns, and hand signals.
- Communicate traffic and crossing rules and other information to students and adults.
- Report unsafe behavior of children to school officials.
- Record license numbers of vehicles disregarding traffic signals, and report infractions to appropriate authorities.
- Direct or escort pedestrians across streets, stopping traffic as necessary.
- Stop speeding vehicles to warn drivers of traffic laws.
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What Every Crossing Guard Should Know
Crossing Guards state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
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.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Types of Crossing Guard
- School Crossing Guard Supervisor
- Freight Flagman
- Flagger
- Train Gate Attendant
- Flagman
Are There Job Opportunities for Crossing Guards?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 74,300 jobs in the United States for Crossing Guard. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 6,300 new jobs for Crossing Guard by 2026. The BLS estimates 14,500 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Crossing Guard are Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, New Jersey, or South Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Crossing Guard
The typical yearly salary for Crossing Guards is somewhere between $19,320 and $47,810.

Crossing Guards who work in Alaska, New York, or Washington, make the highest salaries.
How much do Crossing Guards make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $22,770 |
Alaska | $53,960 |
Arizona | $23,300 |
Arkansas | $21,710 |
California | $37,450 |
Colorado | $31,420 |
Delaware | $33,280 |
District of Columbia | $34,890 |
Florida | $25,230 |
Georgia | $29,780 |
Hawaii | $30,870 |
Idaho | $27,520 |
Illinois | $34,010 |
Indiana | $26,650 |
Iowa | $30,260 |
Kansas | $29,500 |
Kentucky | $27,670 |
Louisiana | $24,450 |
Maine | $24,840 |
Maryland | $28,350 |
Massachusetts | $33,840 |
Michigan | $24,670 |
Minnesota | $41,000 |
Mississippi | $23,850 |
Missouri | $30,000 |
Montana | $29,900 |
Nebraska | $23,660 |
Nevada | $27,470 |
New Hampshire | $32,750 |
New Jersey | $32,920 |
New Mexico | $24,980 |
New York | $37,220 |
North Carolina | $24,220 |
North Dakota | $32,510 |
Ohio | $29,650 |
Oklahoma | $21,660 |
Oregon | $33,560 |
Pennsylvania | $30,210 |
Rhode Island | $35,550 |
South Carolina | $24,170 |
South Dakota | $29,200 |
Tennessee | $34,540 |
Texas | $23,050 |
Utah | $26,100 |
Vermont | $31,230 |
Virginia | $29,900 |
Washington | $50,970 |
Wisconsin | $32,100 |
Wyoming | $34,570 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Crossing Guards
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Crossing Guards may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Word
- Payroll software
Becoming a Crossing Guard
What education is needed to be a Crossing Guard?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Crossing Guards Are Employed

The table below shows the approximate number of Crossing Guards employed by various industries.

References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
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