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Field of degree: Security and protective service

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Security and protective service field of degree. Employment: 1,256,100. Median annual wage: $52,000.

Table 1. Security and protective service degree, 2019.

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Table 1. Security and protective service degree, 2019
Data	Security and protective service	All fields
Employment	1,256,100	56,820,460
Median wage	52,000	60,000
Percent employed part time	11	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	34	60
Percent with an advanced degree	22	37
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of security and protective service major, 2019.

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Chart 1. Types of security and protective service major, 2019
Security and protective service major	Major share
Criminal Justice And Fire Protection	100%
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a security and protective service degree, by occupational group, 2019.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a security and protective service degree, by occupational group, 2019
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Protective service occupations	24%
Management occupations	11
Community and social service occupations	10
Office and administrative support occupations	10
Business and financial operations occupations	7
Other	38
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a security and protective service degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a security and protective service degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2021–31	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2019	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2019
Paralegals and legal assistants	14%	Associate's degree	2%	9%
Lawyers	10	Doctoral or professional degree	3	92
Managers, all other	6	Bachelor's degree	4	20
Elementary school teachers, except special education	4	Bachelor's degree	2	48
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	3	High school diploma or equivalent	11	7
Social workers, all other	3	Bachelor's degree	3	40
Security guards	3	High school diploma or equivalent	2	3
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists	0	Bachelor's degree	3	17
Detectives and criminal investigators	-1	High school diploma or equivalent	2	16
Correctional officers and jailers	-10	High school diploma or equivalent	2	3
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Security and protective service,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/security-and-protective-service/security-and-protective-service-field-of-degree.htm (visited May 23, 2023).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, September 8, 2022