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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Occupational Requirements Survey > Publications > Factsheets

Protective service occupations

Police officer standing next to his motorcycle and writing on clipboard

This occupational group includes workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention, law enforcement, and animal control, as well as private detectives and investigators, security guards, lifeguards, transportation security screeners, and crossing guards.

For terms and definitions in this profile, see definitions of major terms.

Cognitive and mental requirements

The qualifications that workers need to use judgment, make decisions, interact with others, and adapt to changes in jobs.

In 2025, more than basic people skills were required for 70.9 percent of protective service workers. Basic people skills were required for 29.1 percent.

Table 1. Percentage of protective service workers with cognitive and mental requirements, 2025
Requirement	Yes	No
Work schedule varies	55.7	44.3
Ability to pause work (and take brief unscheduled breaks)	12.8	87.2
Working around crowds	28.3	71.7
Telework routinely allowed	1.3	98.7
Supervising others	12.3	87.7
Supervisor present in immediate work area	25.7	74.3
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey

Education, training, and experience requirements

The minimum level of formal education required, credentials necessary, on-the-job training, and prior work experience necessary for average performance in jobs. The time associated with these requirements is combined to calculate the specific vocational preparation level needed for the job.

In 2025, prior work experience was required for 26.3 percent of protective service workers and on-the-job training was required for 79.0 percent.

A high school diploma was required for 81.4 percent of protective service workers.

Environmental conditions

The various hazards or difficulties that are in the area where workers perform their critical tasks.

In 2025, a quiet noise exposure was present for less than 5 percent of protective service workers. Another 91.1 percent were exposed to moderate noise, 7.2 percent were exposed to loud noise, and less than 0.5 percent to very loud noise. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was used by 8.4 percent of workers to mitigate noise exposure and was not used by 91.6 percent.

Physical demands

The physical activities required to perform tasks in jobs. The presence and, in some cases, duration of these activities are published.

In 2025, speaking was required for greater than 99.5 percent of protective service workers and was not required for less than 0.5 percent. For 1.6 percent of workers, speaking was seldom required, for 73.0 percent speaking was occasionally required, for 25.2 percent speaking was frequently required, and for less than 0.5 percent speaking was required constantly.

Performing work in low postures was required for 65.9 percent of protective service workers and was not required for 34.1 percent.

The choice to sit or stand when performing critical tasks was available to 5.0 percent of protective service workers. On average, workers spent 42.7 percent of the workday sitting and 57.3 percent of the workday standing.

Table 2. Percentage of protective service workers with physical demands, 2025
Requirement	Yes	No
Ability to choose to sit or stand for tasks	5.0	95.0
Driving	63.9	36.1
Climbing structure-related ramps or stairs	68.8	31.2
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey