Protective Service Salaries

The BLS classifies 24 detailed occupations in this group, all with a published median. Across the whole group the BLS reports a median of $50,080 a year and about 3.78 million jobs.

Occupations24

Group median$50,080

Total employment3.78 million

Highest median$106,040

The spread inside the group runs from $33,580 for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers to $106,040 for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives. Ranking occupations by median is the fastest way to see which roles the market pays most within this field.

All protective service occupations by median pay

Medians are annual, from the BLS May 2025 national estimates. Employment shows the number of jobs in each occupation.

Protective Service occupations by median annual pay, May 2025
Occupation	Median pay	Employment
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$106,040	154,610
Detectives and Criminal Investigators	$93,790	114,430
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers	$93,530	99,140
Transit and Railroad Police	$90,230	4,390
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers	$77,970	53,380
First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other	$76,400	20,690
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	$76,210	670,520
Fire Inspectors and Investigators	$75,920	13,800
Fish and Game Wardens	$74,060	5,770
Transportation Security Screeners	$66,770	50,290
Firefighters	$59,280	345,990
Correctional Officers and Jailers	$58,940	380,500
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists	$56,870	2,780
Bailiffs	$56,600	17,310
First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers	$55,940	81,480
Private Detectives and Investigators	$51,220	35,580
Parking Enforcement Workers	$46,730	9,050
Animal Control Workers	$45,660	12,070
Gambling Surveillance Officers and Gambling Investigators	$43,370	9,520
Protective Service Workers, All Other	$42,540	81,500
Crossing Guards and Flaggers	$38,100	94,360
Security Guards	$38,020	1,283,470
School Bus Monitors	$35,100	78,420
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers	$33,580	157,550

How to read this table

A high median can reflect scarce skills, union coverage, licensing requirements or simply a small, senior workforce. A low median can reflect part-time schedules or a large entry-level tier. Neither is a verdict on the work itself.

Employment matters as much as pay when comparing occupations: a role with 500,000 jobs and a $50,080 median offers far more openings than a niche role paying twice as much.

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