Protective Service Jobs: Every Major Occupation’s Pay, Ranked (May 2025 BLS Data)
- The median annual wage for protective service occupations was $50,080 in May 2025, below the $50,980 median for all U.S. jobs.
- The group employed about 3,776,610 people nationwide.
- Its best-paid occupation with at least 10,000 jobs was First-Line supervisors of police and detectives ($106,040); the lowest-paid was lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers ($33,580).
BLS sorts every job in the country into 22 major occupational groups. This one, “Protective Service Occupations” (SOC 33-0000), covers the occupations below. All pay and job counts come from the BLS OEWS national data, May 2025; the typical entry education for each job comes from BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35. Use the tables to see where your job sits in its field and which nearby jobs pay more.
Highest-paying jobs in the group
Occupations with at least 10,000 U.S. jobs, ranked by median annual wage:
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Hourly median | U.S. jobs | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $106,040 | $50.98 | 154,610 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $93,790 | $45.09 | 114,430 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $93,530 | $44.96 | 99,140 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $77,970 | $37.49 | 53,380 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,210 | $36.64 | 670,520 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Fire Inspectors and Investigators | $75,920 | $36.50 | 13,800 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Transportation Security Screeners | $66,770 | $32.10 | 50,290 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Firefighters | $59,280 | $28.50 | 345,990 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | $58,940 | $28.34 | 380,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Bailiffs | $56,600 | $27.21 | 17,310 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers | $55,940 | $26.90 | 81,480 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Private Detectives and Investigators | $51,220 | $24.62 | 35,580 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Lowest-paying jobs in the group
| Occupation | Median annual wage | U.S. jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | $33,580 | 157,550 |
| School Bus Monitors | $35,100 | 78,420 |
| Security Guards | $38,020 | 1,283,470 |
| Crossing Guards and Flaggers | $38,100 | 94,360 |
| Animal Control Workers | $45,660 | 12,070 |
The most common jobs in the group
These are the occupations most people in this field actually hold:
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security Guards | 1,283,470 | $30,210 | $38,020 | $58,840 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | 670,520 | $47,510 | $76,210 | $115,120 |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | 380,500 | $42,760 | $58,940 | $93,220 |
| Firefighters | 345,990 | $34,910 | $59,280 | $101,040 |
| Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | 157,550 | $25,780 | $33,580 | $43,970 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | 154,610 | $63,350 | $106,040 | $165,110 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 114,430 | $55,390 | $93,790 | $160,540 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | 99,140 | $53,430 | $93,530 | $140,010 |
Where protective service jobs pay the most
States with the highest median wage for the whole group (BLS OEWS state data, May 2025):
| State | Group median wage | Jobs in the group |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $73,950 | 29,670 |
| Alaska | $69,100 | 8,510 |
| Massachusetts | $65,550 | 82,890 |
| Washington | $62,090 | 77,850 |
| Connecticut | $61,050 | 38,390 |
The lowest group medians were in Mississippi ($37,390), Louisiana ($41,740), Kentucky ($42,310). Part of the gap reflects living costs and part reflects which jobs in the group are common in each state.
No bachelor’s degree? The best-paid job in this group with a typical entry requirement below a four-year degree was First-Line supervisors of police and detectives, at a median of $106,040 (high school diploma or equivalent typically needed).
How to use this for a raise or a move
- Benchmark inside your field. Find your occupation in the tables and compare your pay with its median and with the 10th and 90th percentiles.
- Look one step over. The best-paid jobs in a group often use the same skills as the common ones. A certificate or license can move you up a row.
- Location matters. The state table shows how much the same kind of work pays in different places.
- Base pay only. OEWS wages exclude overtime, tips and most bonuses.
Published October 29, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
One more data point: the state where protective service jobs make up the largest share of local employment is District of Columbia, with a location quotient of 1.74 (29,670 jobs at a group median of $73,950). A location quotient above 1 means the group is a bigger share of the state’s jobs than it is nationally. Source: BLS OEWS state data, May 2025; location quotients are explained in the BLS OEWS overview.
— JobPayRaise Data Desk