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Field of degree: Security and protective service

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Security and protective service field of degree. Employment: 1,326,540. Median annual wage: $56,000.

Table 1. Security and protective service degree, 2021.

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Table 1. Security and protective service degree, 2021
Data	Security and protective service	All fields
Employment	1,326,540	59,687,450
Median wage	56,000	63,000
Percent employed part time	11	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, 2021.

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Chart 1. Types of security and protective service, 2021
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, 2021.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a security and protective service degree, by occupational group, 2021
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Protective service occupations	22%
Management occupations	13
Office and administrative support occupations	10
Community and social service occupations	8
Business and financial operations occupations	8
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 2022–32	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2021	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2021
Lawyers	8%	Doctoral or professional degree	3%	91%
Social workers, all other	7	Bachelor's degree	2	44
Managers, all other	3	Bachelor's degree	4	21
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	3	High school diploma or equivalent	10	8
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists	3	Bachelor's degree	3	22
Detectives and criminal investigators	1	High school diploma or equivalent	2	20
Elementary school teachers, except special education	1	Bachelor's degree	2	49
Security guards	-1	High school diploma or equivalent	2	4
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers	-7	High school diploma or equivalent	2	5
Correctional officers and jailers	-8	High school diploma or equivalent	2	2
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 April 26, 2024).

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 6, 2023