Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023
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) |
| 3,504,330 |
0.3 % |
$ 27.74 |
$ 57,710 |
0.3 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Protective Service Occupations:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 14.37 |
$ 17.49 |
$ 22.96 |
$ 34.41 |
$ 48.16 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 29,890 |
$ 36,370 |
$ 47,760 |
$ 71,560 |
$ 100,170 |
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) |
1,382,830 |
25.09 |
$ 34.36 |
$ 71,470 |
| Investigation and Security Services |
783,680 |
78.52 |
$ 19.15 |
$ 39,820 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
351,100 |
16.56 |
$ 32.72 |
$ 68,060 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) |
138,860 |
6.49 |
$ 38.94 |
$ 81,000 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
131,150 |
1.52 |
$ 19.73 |
$ 41,030 |
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 |
783,680 |
78.52 |
$ 19.15 |
$ 39,820 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
1,382,830 |
25.09 |
$ 34.36 |
$ 71,470 |
| Other Support Services |
59,950 |
18.37 |
$ 20.49 |
$ 42,620 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
351,100 |
16.56 |
$ 32.72 |
$ 68,060 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
30,210 |
15.29 |
$ 16.74 |
$ 34,810 |
Top paying industries for Protective Service Occupations:
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.
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 |
427,100 |
23.80 |
1.03 |
$ 33.33 |
$ 69,330 |
| Texas |
298,740 |
22.03 |
0.95 |
$ 25.80 |
$ 53,660 |
| New York |
270,040 |
28.75 |
1.25 |
$ 30.20 |
$ 62,820 |
| Florida |
257,100 |
26.87 |
1.16 |
$ 26.52 |
$ 55,160 |
| Illinois |
147,240 |
24.49 |
1.06 |
$ 30.36 |
$ 63,140 |
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 |
28,310 |
40.34 |
1.75 |
$ 34.95 |
$ 72,690 |
| Hawaii |
19,720 |
31.97 |
1.39 |
$ 28.66 |
$ 59,620 |
| Nevada |
47,060 |
31.76 |
1.38 |
$ 25.18 |
$ 52,370 |
| New Mexico |
24,530 |
29.01 |
1.26 |
$ 24.42 |
$ 50,780 |
| Louisiana |
53,690 |
28.99 |
1.26 |
$ 20.89 |
$ 43,460 |
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 |
28,310 |
40.34 |
1.75 |
$ 34.95 |
$ 72,690 |
| California |
427,100 |
23.80 |
1.03 |
$ 33.33 |
$ 69,330 |
| Washington |
68,910 |
19.71 |
0.85 |
$ 33.11 |
$ 68,860 |
| Alaska |
8,800 |
28.24 |
1.22 |
$ 32.85 |
$ 68,320 |
| New Jersey |
112,770 |
26.84 |
1.16 |
$ 32.30 |
$ 67,180 |
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 |
275,570 |
29.02 |
1.26 |
$ 30.96 |
$ 64,390 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
150,540 |
24.34 |
1.05 |
$ 31.32 |
$ 65,150 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
115,320 |
25.59 |
1.11 |
$ 30.63 |
$ 63,710 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
94,870 |
34.86 |
1.51 |
$ 31.07 |
$ 64,620 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
90,240 |
29.18 |
1.26 |
$ 32.61 |
$ 67,830 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
77,390 |
19.51 |
0.85 |
$ 26.57 |
$ 55,260 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
72,580 |
22.83 |
0.99 |
$ 24.79 |
$ 51,570 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
69,280 |
24.49 |
1.06 |
$ 28.36 |
$ 58,990 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
62,970 |
22.35 |
0.97 |
$ 24.69 |
$ 51,360 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
60,120 |
21.77 |
0.94 |
$ 32.42 |
$ 67,440 |
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 |
3,790 |
82.87 |
3.59 |
$ 42.07 |
$ 87,510 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ |
2,320 |
68.56 |
2.97 |
$ 32.21 |
$ 67,000 |
| Pine Bluff, AR |
1,960 |
67.46 |
2.92 |
$ 21.27 |
$ 44,250 |
| El Centro, CA |
3,790 |
60.20 |
2.61 |
$ 39.42 |
$ 81,980 |
| Yuma, AZ |
3,640 |
54.81 |
2.38 |
$ 28.82 |
$ 59,940 |
| The Villages, FL |
1,940 |
51.05 |
2.21 |
$ 27.22 |
$ 56,630 |
| Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ |
2,840 |
45.75 |
1.98 |
$ 35.75 |
$ 74,350 |
| Kingston, NY |
2,530 |
44.36 |
1.92 |
$ 31.54 |
$ 65,610 |
| Charleston, WV |
4,450 |
43.23 |
1.87 |
$ 18.83 |
$ 39,170 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN |
1,640 |
40.51 |
1.76 |
$ 24.41 |
$ 50,780 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Protective Service Occupations:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA |
4,070 |
29.55 |
1.28 |
$ 42.97 |
$ 89,370 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA |
3,790 |
82.87 |
3.59 |
$ 42.07 |
$ 87,510 |
| El Centro, CA |
3,790 |
60.20 |
2.61 |
$ 39.42 |
$ 81,980 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA |
3,230 |
26.99 |
1.17 |
$ 39.27 |
$ 81,690 |
| Madera, CA |
1,980 |
38.48 |
1.67 |
$ 38.94 |
$ 80,990 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA |
3,660 |
18.08 |
0.78 |
$ 37.91 |
$ 78,860 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
19,360 |
16.96 |
0.73 |
$ 37.72 |
$ 78,470 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA |
1,960 |
19.98 |
0.87 |
$ 37.30 |
$ 77,580 |
| Bellingham, WA |
1,910 |
21.12 |
0.92 |
$ 37.07 |
$ 77,110 |
| Salinas, CA |
5,320 |
29.30 |
1.27 |
$ 36.81 |
$ 76,550 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Protective Service Occupations:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area |
8,520 |
21.92 |
0.95 |
$ 21.98 |
$ 45,720 |
| Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area |
8,420 |
41.59 |
1.80 |
$ 23.77 |
$ 49,440 |
| North Florida nonmetropolitan area |
7,940 |
65.76 |
2.85 |
$ 20.75 |
$ 43,160 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
7,310 |
28.63 |
1.24 |
$ 22.52 |
$ 46,840 |
| Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
7,050 |
28.41 |
1.23 |
$ 22.04 |
$ 45,850 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Protective Service Occupations:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| North Florida nonmetropolitan area |
7,940 |
65.76 |
2.85 |
$ 20.75 |
$ 43,160 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area |
3,890 |
63.49 |
2.75 |
$ 39.23 |
$ 81,600 |
| Arizona nonmetropolitan area |
5,450 |
58.06 |
2.52 |
$ 28.07 |
$ 58,380 |
| Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area |
3,290 |
55.21 |
2.39 |
$ 31.18 |
$ 64,860 |
| Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area |
3,610 |
49.25 |
2.13 |
$ 30.41 |
$ 63,250 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Protective Service Occupations:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area |
3,890 |
63.49 |
2.75 |
$ 39.23 |
$ 81,600 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area |
4,100 |
40.36 |
1.75 |
$ 37.68 |
$ 78,370 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area |
3,610 |
34.11 |
1.48 |
$ 35.40 |
$ 73,620 |
| Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area |
6,040 |
43.49 |
1.88 |
$ 33.35 |
$ 69,360 |
| Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area |
1,830 |
17.65 |
0.77 |
$ 33.02 |
$ 68,680 |
About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024
United States Department of Labor
