Crossing Guards and Flaggers Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of crossing guards and flaggers to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035 (about 3,300 more jobs), with about 17,300 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $38,100 a year ranks 755th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +3.5%
- Openings a year
- 17,300
- Median pay
- $38,100
- Pay rank
- 755th of 825
Is employment of crossing guards and flaggers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of crossing guards and flaggers to rise 3.5% (about 3,300 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +1.1% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 24 protective service occupations with a projection. That change ranks 357th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 94,800 |
| Employment, 2035 | 98,100 |
| Projected change | +3.5% |
| Openings a year | 17,300 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 94,800 jobs here differ from the 94,360 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 17,300 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 177th most of 830 occupations. About 98% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 330 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for crossing guards and flaggers rank?
The median of $38,100 a year ranks 755th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on openings and the lower half on pay.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: no formal educational credential.
- Typical on-the-job training: short-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transit and Railroad Police | +3.2% | 300 | $90,230 |
| Security Guards | +0.9% | 156,000 | $38,020 |
| Parking Enforcement Workers | -1.1% | 800 | $46,730 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | -4.2% | 4,500 | $66,770 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | +3.5% | 51,500 | $76,210 |
| School Bus Monitors | -1.9% | 13,400 | $35,100 |
| Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | +5.5% | 45,400 | $33,580 |
| Subway and Streetcar Operators | +3.7% | 900 | $86,380 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.