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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

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


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)
3,437,610 0.2 % $ 25.97 $ 54,010 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Protective Service Occupations:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 13.38 $ 16.20 $ 21.85 $ 31.88 $ 45.78
Annual Wage (2) $ 27,830 $ 33,700 $ 45,450 $ 66,300 $ 95,220


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) 1,396,310 25.98 $ 31.98 $ 66,510
Investigation and Security Services 742,470 78.27 $ 17.28 $ 35,940
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 359,170 16.92 $ 30.68 $ 63,810
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 140,110 6.72 $ 37.08 $ 77,120
Elementary and Secondary Schools 128,510 1.53 $ 18.01 $ 37,470

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 742,470 78.27 $ 17.28 $ 35,940
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 1,396,310 25.98 $ 31.98 $ 66,510
Other Support Services 61,150 19.34 $ 18.91 $ 39,340
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 359,170 16.92 $ 30.68 $ 63,810
Facilities Support Services 27,740 16.04 $ 20.06 $ 41,720

Top paying industries for Protective Service Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scheduled Air Transportation 1,030 0.24 $ 54.74 $ 113,870
Postal Service (federal government) 1,260 0.20 $ 43.43 $ 90,330
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing 40 0.01 $ 40.95 $ 85,180
Natural Gas Distribution 250 0.23 $ 39.72 $ 82,620
Rail Transportation 500 0.27 $ 38.28 $ 79,630


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.



Map of employment of protective service occupations by state, May 2022


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 419,640 23.79 1.02 $ 31.15 $ 64,790
Texas 293,440 22.58 0.97 $ 24.16 $ 50,250
New York 293,190 32.19 1.38 $ 29.53 $ 61,410
Florida 245,310 26.63 1.15 $ 24.80 $ 51,580
Illinois 142,530 24.22 1.04 $ 29.23 $ 60,790


Map of location quotient of protective service occupations by state, May 2022


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 28,480 41.27 1.78 $ 34.82 $ 72,430
Hawaii 19,230 32.32 1.39 $ 27.52 $ 57,240
New York 293,190 32.19 1.38 $ 29.53 $ 61,410
Nevada 43,380 30.72 1.32 $ 22.91 $ 47,650
Louisiana 55,450 30.01 1.29 $ 20.10 $ 41,810


Map of annual mean wages of protective service occupations by state, May 2022


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 28,480 41.27 1.78 $ 34.82 $ 72,430
Washington 67,790 19.91 0.86 $ 31.72 $ 65,980
California 419,640 23.79 1.02 $ 31.15 $ 64,790
New Jersey 108,970 26.52 1.14 $ 30.48 $ 63,400
Alaska 8,800 28.73 1.24 $ 29.85 $ 62,090



Map of employment of protective service occupations by area, May 2022


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 294,530 32.07 1.38 $ 30.30 $ 63,020
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 146,140 23.96 1.03 $ 29.39 $ 61,120
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 111,450 25.24 1.09 $ 29.33 $ 61,010
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 90,940 34.66 1.49 $ 28.80 $ 59,900
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 89,430 29.54 1.27 $ 30.95 $ 64,370
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 76,100 20.00 0.86 $ 24.65 $ 51,270
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 70,260 23.00 0.99 $ 23.29 $ 48,430
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 67,100 24.22 1.04 $ 26.53 $ 55,190
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 59,840 21.94 0.94 $ 22.29 $ 46,360
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 59,660 22.07 0.95 $ 30.11 $ 62,620


Map of location quotient of protective service occupations by area, May 2022


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 3,750 84.92 3.65 $ 40.88 $ 85,020
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 2,330 69.99 3.01 $ 30.20 $ 62,820
Pine Bluff, AR 1,750 60.18 2.59 $ 19.89 $ 41,360
El Centro, CA 3,510 56.16 2.42 $ 38.82 $ 80,750
The Villages, FL 1,950 53.84 2.32 $ 25.44 $ 52,910
Yuma, AZ 3,510 52.01 2.24 $ 26.19 $ 54,460
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 2,910 47.95 2.06 $ 35.29 $ 73,410
Charleston, WV 4,680 46.71 2.01 $ 14.96 $ 31,120
Kingston, NY 2,510 44.72 1.92 $ 29.17 $ 60,680
Michigan City-La Porte, IN 1,650 41.78 1.80 $ 20.83 $ 43,320


Map of annual mean wages of protective service occupations by area, May 2022


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)
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 3,750 84.92 3.65 $ 40.88 $ 85,020
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 4,290 31.13 1.34 $ 39.87 $ 82,930
El Centro, CA 3,510 56.16 2.42 $ 38.82 $ 80,750
Madera, CA 2,110 41.65 1.79 $ 38.14 $ 79,330
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 3,620 30.59 1.32 $ 36.59 $ 76,110
Salinas, CA 5,660 31.15 1.34 $ 36.17 $ 75,240
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 2,910 47.95 2.06 $ 35.29 $ 73,410
Bellingham, WA 1,970 22.35 0.96 $ 34.96 $ 72,710
Kennewick-Richland, WA 2,650 21.77 0.94 $ 34.95 $ 72,690
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 3,870 18.78 0.81 $ 34.69 $ 72,150

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)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 8,390 21.90 0.94 $ 20.41 $ 42,440
Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 8,330 42.69 1.84 $ 21.63 $ 44,980
North Florida nonmetropolitan area 7,880 66.61 2.87 $ 20.49 $ 42,610
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 7,340 29.35 1.26 $ 19.84 $ 41,260
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 7,310 29.89 1.29 $ 19.30 $ 40,130

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 7,880 66.61 2.87 $ 20.49 $ 42,610
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 3,970 65.39 2.81 $ 36.23 $ 75,360
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 5,540 60.23 2.59 $ 26.21 $ 54,510
Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 3,240 55.46 2.39 $ 29.48 $ 61,320
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 5,330 45.90 1.97 $ 20.43 $ 42,490

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 3,970 65.39 2.81 $ 36.23 $ 75,360
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 4,600 45.64 1.96 $ 34.31 $ 71,360
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 1,710 17.08 0.73 $ 32.72 $ 68,060
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 4,040 38.79 1.67 $ 32.23 $ 67,050
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 3,070 31.36 1.35 $ 31.29 $ 65,080


About May 2022 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 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023