Career field
Protective Service careers
Occupations in public safety, security, and protection. CampusPin lists 24 protective service occupations, with median pay ranging from $33,720 to $105,980 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.
Occupations
24
indexed BLS occupations
Median pay range
$33,720–$105,980
BLS 2024, occupation-wide
Typical pay (midpoint)
$58,290
median of these medians
Most common entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
across 24 occupations
Projected to grow fastest
BLS projected employment change, 2024–2034.
Largest by employment
BLS employment estimate, 2024.
- Security guards1,262,100
- Police and sheriff's patrol officers698,800
- Correctional officers and jailers387,500
- Firefighters344,900
- First-line supervisors of police and detectives160,800
Typical entry-level education
How many of these occupations BLS classifies at each typical entry-level education. Many roles also have experience or licensure requirements beyond a degree.
- High school diploma or equivalent: 18
- Postsecondary nondegree award: 3
- No formal educational credential: 2
- Bachelor's degree: 1
Occupations in this field
Every occupation BLS places in this field, with median pay, the openings each is projected to average per year, its projected employment change, and the education most entrants hold. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first, which is the measure of how much hiring a field actually does rather than how much it pays.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security guards | $38,370 | 161,000 | +0.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers | $76,290 | 53,700 | +3.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers | $33,720 | 42,700 | +5.8% | No formal educational credential |
| Correctional officers and jailers | $57,970 | 30,100 | -7.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Firefighters | $59,530 | 27,100 | +3.4% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Protective service workers, all other | $41,600 | 23,300 | +2.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Crossing guards and flaggers | $37,700 | 18,000 | +3.6% | No formal educational credential |
| School bus monitors | $34,980 | 12,600 | -2.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of police and detectives | $105,980 | 10,900 | +2.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Detectives and criminal investigators | $93,580 | 7,800 | -0.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of security workers | $58,610 | 7,000 | +2.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers | $92,430 | 6,500 | +3.4% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Transportation security screeners | $63,360 | 4,700 | -6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of correctional officers | $76,310 | 4,300 | -2.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Private detectives and investigators | $52,370 | 3,900 | +6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other | $74,960 | 2,100 | +1.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Bailiffs | $57,050 | 1,800 | -2.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Fire inspectors and investigators | $78,060 | 1,500 | +3.8% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Animal control workers | $45,830 | 1,300 | +3.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators | $43,900 | 1,300 | +0.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Parking enforcement workers | $47,150 | 700 | -1.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Fish and game wardens | $68,180 | 500 | -6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists | $52,380 | 300 | +14.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Transit and railroad police | $82,320 | 200 | +3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 wages and Employment Projections. “Most entrants hold” describes the education people already working in the occupation typically have. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Majors that lead into this field
CampusPin majors whose program maps to occupations in this field via the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk.
Frequently asked questions
What careers are in the protective service field?
CampusPin lists 24 protective service occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including First-line supervisors of police and detectives, Detectives and criminal investigators, First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers, Transit and railroad police. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.
How much do protective service careers pay?
Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $33,720 to $105,980 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $58,290. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.
What education do protective service careers require?
Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is high school diploma or equivalent. 18 occupations list high school diploma or equivalent; 3 occupations list postsecondary nondegree award; 2 occupations list no formal educational credential; 1 occupation list bachelor's degree.
Which protective service careers are projected to grow fastest?
Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists (+14.6%), Private detectives and investigators (+6%), Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers (+5.8%), Animal control workers (+3.9%), Fire inspectors and investigators (+3.8%). Projections are BLS model estimates, not guarantees.
Put this field in context
The pay and growth numbers above are field-wide BLS medians and national projections across protective service occupations, not a starting salary or a guarantee for any single job. These CampusPin guides explain how to read them and how a field connects to majors and college choices.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
How one major connects to many careers
A major points toward several occupations in a field, not a single destination.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Compare cost, earnings, and debt together
Weigh price, earnings, and debt side by side without reducing a field to one number.
Occupation data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (Employment Projections); wages are 2024 and projections cover 2024–2034. Figures are national, not institution-specific, and projections are estimates, not guarantees.