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Field of degree: Security and protective service

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Security and protective service field of degree. Employment: 1,191,040. Median annual wage: $50,000.

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Table 1. Security and protective service degree, 2018
Data	Security and protective service	All fields
Employment	1,191,040	55,381,020
Median wage	$50,000	$59,000
Percent employed part time	11	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	33	59
Percent with an advanced degree	23	37
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 1. Types of security and protective service major, 2018
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.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a security and protective service degree, by occupational group, 2018
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Protective service occupations	24%
Management occupations	11
Office and administrative support occupations	11
Community and social service occupations	8
Sales and related occupations	7
Other	39
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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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 2019–29	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2018	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2018
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	6%	High school diploma or equivalent	10%	6%
First-line supervisors of police and detectives	5	High school diploma or equivalent	2	15
Social workers, all other	5	Bachelor's degree	3	38
Elementary school teachers, except special education	4	Bachelor's degree	3	50
Lawyers	4	Doctoral or professional degree	3	93
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists	4	Bachelor's degree	3	20
Security guards	3	High school diploma or equivalent	3	3
Detectives and criminal investigators	1	High school diploma or equivalent	2	19
Personal service managers, all other; entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling; and managers, all other	-2	Bachelor's degree	3	21
Correctional officers and jailers	-7	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 October 17, 2021).

Last Modified Date: Monday, November 30, 2020