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Field of degree: Security and protective service

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Security and protective service field of degree. Employment: 1,398,110. Median annual wage: $60,000.

Table 1. Security and protective service degree, 2022.

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Table 1. Security and protective service degree, 2022
Data	Security and protective service	All fields
Employment	1,398,110	62,187,580
Median wage	60,000	66,000
Percent employed part time	10	14
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	36	62
Percent with an advanced degree	23	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of security and protective service major, 2022.

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Chart 1. Types of security and protective service, 2022
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, 2022.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a security and protective service degree, by occupational group, 2022
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Protective service occupations	22%
Management occupations	13
Office and administrative support occupations	10
Business and financial operations occupations	8
Community and social service occupations	7
Other	40
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 2023–33	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2022	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2022
Managers, all other	6%	Bachelor's degree	4%	21%
Lawyers	5	Doctoral or professional degree	3	92
Firefighters	4	Postsecondary nondegree award	2	4
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	4	High school diploma or equivalent	10	7
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists	4	Bachelor's degree	2	22
Detectives and criminal investigators	2	High school diploma or equivalent	2	20
Security guards	2	High school diploma or equivalent	2	3
Paralegals and legal assistants	1	Associate's degree	2	9
Elementary school teachers, except special education	-1	Bachelor's degree	2	49
Customer service representatives	-5	High school diploma or equivalent	2	4
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 June 11, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 29, 2024