SOC 33-9094 · Rapid City, SD metro

School Bus Monitors Salary in Rapid City, SD

The average salary for school bus monitors in Rapid City, South Dakota is $33,560 a year ($16.14 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $35,000: half of the 40 people in this job in the Rapid City, SD metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 5% less than the U.S. average for this job ($35,150).

$33,560average per year

$16.14 / hourMedian $35,000Take-home ≈ $29,145

  • $30K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $35K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

40people in this job
-5%vs U.S. average
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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School Bus Monitors pay range in Rapid City

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,480 a year or less, while the top 10% make $35,000 or more. The middle half of school bus monitors in Rapid City earn between $30,480 and $35,000.

  • $30K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $35K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$33,560$2,797$16.13
Median$35,000$2,917$16.83
Entry level (25th percentile)$30,480$2,540$14.65
Experienced (75th percentile)$35,000$2,917$16.83

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

School Bus Monitors pay in Rapid City vs. South Dakota and the U.S.

School bus monitors in Rapid City earn about the same as the South Dakota average ($34,330) and 5% less than the U.S. average ($35,150). At the median the gap is -0% against the U.S. median of $35,100.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Rapid City$33,560$35,000$30,480$35,00040
South Dakota$34,330$34,380$32,820$35,650140
United States$35,150$35,100$28,130$43,25078,420

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

School Bus Monitors salary after taxes in Rapid City

On the average salary of $33,560, a single filer in Rapid City takes home about $29,145 a year, or $2,429 a month and $1,121 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

South Dakota paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Rapid City a good place for school bus monitors? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Rapid City area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.2), so the average $33,560 buys what about $37,640 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Rapid City ($46,270). A typical home costs $374,117, or 11.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $33,560 is worth in another city

School Bus Monitors salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for school bus monitors

Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($49,210).

School Bus Monitors salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. School Bus Monitors in Rapid City, SD.

School Bus Monitors salary in Rapid City: questions

How much do school bus monitors make an hour in Rapid City?

$16.14 an hour on average, and $16.83 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level school bus monitors salary in Rapid City?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,480 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,480, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the school bus monitors take-home pay in Rapid City?

About $29,145 a year ($2,429 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $33,560. South Dakota has no state income tax.

Do school bus monitors earn more in Rapid City than elsewhere?

The average here is 5% less than the U.S. average for this job ($35,150).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 33-9094; area Rapid City, SD (39660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.96, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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