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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

33-0000 Protective Service Occupations (Major Group)

Protective Service Occupations comprises the following occupations: First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers; First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives; First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers; Miscellaneous First-Line Supervisors, Protective Service Workers; Firefighters; Fire Inspectors and Investigators; Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists; Bailiffs; Correctional Officers and Jailers; Detectives and Criminal Investigators; Fish and Game Wardens; Parking Enforcement Workers; Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers; Transit and Railroad Police; Animal Control Workers; Private Detectives and Investigators; Gambling Surveillance Officers and Gambling Investigators; Security Guards; Crossing Guards and Flaggers; Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers; Transportation Security Screeners; School Bus Monitors and Protective Service Workers, All Other


National estimates for Protective Service Occupations
Industry profile for Protective Service Occupations
Geographic profile for Protective Service Occupations

National estimates for Protective Service Occupations:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Protective Service Occupations:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
3,351,180 0.4 % $ 25.11 $ 52,220 0.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for Protective Service Occupations:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 11.88 $ 14.82 $ 21.02 $ 31.77 $ 45.20
Annual Wage (2) $ 24,710 $ 30,820 $ 43,710 $ 66,090 $ 94,020


Industry profile for Protective Service Occupations:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Protective Service Occupations are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Protective Service Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Protective Service Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 1,381,700 25.57 $ 30.86 $ 64,190
Investigation and Security Services 721,290 78.17 $ 16.29 $ 33,880
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 384,200 17.47 $ 29.37 $ 61,100
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 143,710 6.91 $ 35.14 $ 73,100
Elementary and Secondary Schools 112,620 1.37 $ 16.91 $ 35,180

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Protective Service Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Investigation and Security Services 721,290 78.17 $ 16.29 $ 33,880
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 1,381,700 25.57 $ 30.86 $ 64,190
Facilities Support Services 33,320 20.69 $ 21.33 $ 44,380
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 384,200 17.47 $ 29.37 $ 61,100
Other Support Services 47,570 15.95 $ 17.75 $ 36,910

Top paying industries for Protective Service Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 340 0.03 $ 53.56 $ 111,400
Natural Gas Distribution 80 0.08 $ 46.69 $ 97,100
Postal Service (federal government) 1,340 0.21 $ 39.42 $ 81,990
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 143,710 6.91 $ 35.14 $ 73,100
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 1,830 0.35 $ 33.93 $ 70,570


Geographic profile for Protective Service Occupations:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Protective Service Occupations are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Protective Service Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Protective Service Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 401,540 24.44 1.01 $ 31.24 $ 64,990
New York 294,130 33.84 1.40 $ 29.28 $ 60,910
Texas 292,110 24.14 1.00 $ 23.39 $ 48,660
Florida 235,510 27.90 1.16 $ 21.98 $ 45,710
Illinois 133,470 23.72 0.98 $ 27.53 $ 57,260




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Protective Service Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 28,200 41.03 1.70 $ 33.83 $ 70,360
New York 294,130 33.84 1.40 $ 29.28 $ 60,910
Hawaii 18,910 32.94 1.37 $ 26.48 $ 55,070
Nevada 39,750 31.78 1.32 $ 23.26 $ 48,370
New Mexico 24,400 31.05 1.29 $ 21.33 $ 44,380




Top paying states for Protective Service Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 28,200 41.03 1.70 $ 33.83 $ 70,360
California 401,540 24.44 1.01 $ 31.24 $ 64,990
Washington 63,910 20.00 0.83 $ 30.45 $ 63,330
New Jersey 108,990 28.81 1.20 $ 30.30 $ 63,020
Alaska 8,340 28.13 1.17 $ 30.12 $ 62,650





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Protective Service Occupations:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 299,310 33.88 1.41 $ 29.82 $ 62,030
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 148,980 25.59 1.06 $ 30.29 $ 63,010
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 105,340 24.15 1.00 $ 27.64 $ 57,490
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 84,790 28.06 1.16 $ 30.45 $ 63,330
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 84,680 33.77 1.40 $ 23.70 $ 49,290
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 73,530 20.49 0.85 $ 23.98 $ 49,870
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 72,260 24.34 1.01 $ 22.31 $ 46,400
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 68,640 25.45 1.06 $ 25.24 $ 52,500
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 60,620 23.02 0.96 $ 21.18 $ 44,060
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 55,780 21.44 0.89 $ 30.09 $ 62,590




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Protective Service Occupations:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 3,670 86.06 3.57 $ 40.77 $ 84,800
Pine Bluff, AR 2,240 79.48 3.30 $ 18.26 $ 37,980
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 2,310 72.95 3.03 $ 29.32 $ 60,990
The Villages, FL 1,940 64.57 2.68 $ 20.17 $ 41,950
El Centro, CA 3,690 64.21 2.67 $ 35.03 $ 72,860
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 2,560 50.76 2.11 $ 20.95 $ 43,580
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 2,860 50.00 2.08 $ 33.10 $ 68,840
Yuma, AZ 3,020 49.83 2.07 $ 25.89 $ 53,860
Michigan City-La Porte, IN 1,790 46.37 1.92 $ 18.99 $ 39,510
Kingston, NY 2,540 46.32 1.92 $ 29.30 $ 60,940




Top paying metropolitan areas for Protective Service Occupations:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 1,760 20.32 0.84 $ 41.60 $ 86,520
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 3,670 86.06 3.57 $ 40.77 $ 84,800
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 4,200 31.61 1.31 $ 40.63 $ 84,510
Madera, CA 1,920 41.76 1.73 $ 39.27 $ 81,680
Bakersfield, CA 9,680 31.71 1.32 $ 37.78 $ 78,580
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 3,120 28.83 1.20 $ 37.50 $ 78,010
Salinas, CA 5,250 30.60 1.27 $ 37.23 $ 77,450
El Centro, CA 3,690 64.21 2.67 $ 35.03 $ 72,860
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 19,120 17.34 0.72 $ 34.66 $ 72,100
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 45,640 19.58 0.81 $ 33.92 $ 70,550

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Protective Service Occupations:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Florida nonmetropolitan area 9,230 77.61 3.22 $ 18.16 $ 37,760
Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 8,940 46.66 1.94 $ 21.13 $ 43,940
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 8,410 22.22 0.92 $ 19.03 $ 39,590
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 7,990 29.68 1.23 $ 20.74 $ 43,140
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 7,780 32.34 1.34 $ 18.61 $ 38,710

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Protective Service Occupations:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Florida nonmetropolitan area 9,230 77.61 3.22 $ 18.16 $ 37,760
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 5,830 64.59 2.68 $ 23.89 $ 49,680
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 3,530 64.06 2.66 $ 34.70 $ 72,170
Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 3,120 54.95 2.28 $ 29.41 $ 61,180
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 6,650 49.74 2.06 $ 30.98 $ 64,430

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Protective Service Occupations:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 3,530 64.06 2.66 $ 34.70 $ 72,170
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 4,370 45.01 1.87 $ 34.26 $ 71,260
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 3,180 32.37 1.34 $ 32.36 $ 67,310
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 6,650 49.74 2.06 $ 30.98 $ 64,430
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 1,580 17.15 0.71 $ 30.60 $ 63,650


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021