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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

33-0000 Protective Service Occupations (Major Group)

Protective Service Occupations comprises the following occupations: First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers; First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives; First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers; First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other; First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers; Firefighters; Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists; Fire Inspectors and Investigators; Bailiffs; Correctional Officers and Jailers; Detectives and Criminal Investigators; Fish and Game Wardens; Parking Enforcement Workers; Transit and Railroad Police; Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers; Animal Control Workers; Private Detectives and Investigators; Gambling Surveillance Officers and Gambling Investigators; Security Guards; Protective Service Workers, All Other; Transportation Security Screeners; School Bus Monitors; Crossing Guards and Flaggers; Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

National estimates for Protective Service Occupations
Industry profile for Protective Service Occupations
Geographic profile for Protective Service Occupations

National estimates for Protective Service Occupations:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Protective Service Occupations:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
3,385,030 0.3 % $ 25.68 $ 53,420 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Protective Service Occupations:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 13.16 $ 15.12 $ 22.40 $ 31.06 $ 46.59
Annual Wage (2) $ 27,370 $ 31,450 $ 46,590 $ 64,610 $ 96,900

Industry profile for Protective Service Occupations:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Protective Service Occupations are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Protective Service Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Protective Service Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 1,402,270 26.10 $ 31.50 $ 65,530
Investigation and Security Services 721,420 78.35 $ 16.88 $ 35,110
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 381,880 17.40 $ 29.52 $ 61,400
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 141,530 6.71 $ 35.75 $ 74,350
Elementary and Secondary Schools 119,860 1.48 $ 18.03 $ 37,510

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Protective Service Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Investigation and Security Services 721,420 78.35 $ 16.88 $ 35,110
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 1,402,270 26.10 $ 31.50 $ 65,530
Other Support Services 50,760 18.07 $ 18.09 $ 37,630
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 381,880 17.40 $ 29.52 $ 61,400
Facilities Support Services 28,360 16.94 $ 20.98 $ 43,630

Top paying industries for Protective Service Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Postal Service (federal government) 1,320 0.21 $ 41.84 $ 87,030
Natural Gas Distribution 180 0.16 $ 39.77 $ 82,720
Rail Transportation 940 0.43 $ 37.72 $ 78,460
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 180 0.15 $ 36.91 $ 76,770
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 1,620 0.34 $ 36.38 $ 75,670

Geographic profile for Protective Service Occupations:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Protective Service Occupations are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Protective Service Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of protective service occupations by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Protective Service Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 387,910 23.47 0.98 $ 31.33 $ 65,170
Texas 298,000 24.37 1.01 $ 24.18 $ 50,290
New York 285,900 32.98 1.37 $ 29.39 $ 61,130
Florida 255,210 29.66 1.23 $ 22.56 $ 46,920
Illinois 137,700 24.51 1.02 $ 29.17 $ 60,680


Map of location quotient of protective service occupations by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Protective Service Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 28,700 43.36 1.80 $ 34.93 $ 72,650
Hawaii 19,480 35.52 1.48 $ 26.47 $ 55,070
New York 285,900 32.98 1.37 $ 29.39 $ 61,130
New Mexico 23,880 30.75 1.28 $ 22.76 $ 47,350
Louisiana 54,810 30.56 1.27 $ 19.67 $ 40,920


Map of annual mean wages of protective service occupations by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Protective Service Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 28,700 43.36 1.80 $ 34.93 $ 72,650
Washington 66,020 20.59 0.86 $ 31.64 $ 65,820
California 387,910 23.47 0.98 $ 31.33 $ 65,170
Alaska 8,510 28.78 1.20 $ 30.99 $ 64,470
New Jersey 103,960 27.00 1.12 $ 30.33 $ 63,080



Map of employment of protective service occupations by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Protective Service Occupations:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 283,370 32.65 1.36 $ 29.98 $ 62,370
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 133,140 23.28 0.97 $ 29.92 $ 62,230
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 107,770 25.46 1.06 $ 29.41 $ 61,170
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 88,160 30.06 1.25 $ 30.82 $ 64,110
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 87,780 35.79 1.49 $ 24.84 $ 51,660
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 77,040 21.46 0.89 $ 24.92 $ 51,830
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 70,770 24.43 1.02 $ 23.57 $ 49,020
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 65,410 24.64 1.03 $ 26.34 $ 54,790
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 59,630 23.04 0.96 $ 22.63 $ 47,070
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 58,920 22.79 0.95 $ 30.47 $ 63,380


Map of location quotient of protective service occupations by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Protective Service Occupations:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 3,710 86.76 3.61 $ 39.01 $ 81,140
Pine Bluff, AR 2,290 76.85 3.20 $ 18.69 $ 38,880
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 2,420 71.54 2.98 $ 28.75 $ 59,800
El Centro, CA 3,650 62.24 2.59 $ 36.74 $ 76,410
The Villages, FL 2,080 62.16 2.59 $ 20.07 $ 41,750
Yuma, AZ 3,300 52.91 2.20 $ 25.60 $ 53,250
Michigan City-La Porte, IN 1,920 50.26 2.09 $ 20.40 $ 42,420
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 2,910 49.63 2.07 $ 33.07 $ 68,780
Kingston, NY 2,550 47.20 1.96 $ 30.48 $ 63,400
Charleston, WV 4,310 43.44 1.81 $ 16.07 $ 33,420