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Occupational Outlook Handbook | All Occupations

Protective Service Occupations

Quick Stats | Earnings Graph | Area and Industry Statistics | Demographics | Union Statistics | Hourly and Minimum Wage | Employee Tenure | Census Statistics | Fatalities
  • Correctional Officers
    • The work can be stressful and hazardous.
    • Most correctional officers are employed in State and Federal prisons.
    • Job opportunities are expected to be excellent.
  • Fire Fighting Occupations
    • Fire fighting involves hazardous conditions and long, irregular hours.
    • About 9 out of 10 fire fighting workers were employed by municipal or county fire departments.
    • Applicants for municipal fire fighting jobs generally must pass written, physical, and medical examinations.
    • Although employment is expected to grow faster than the average, keen competition for jobs is expected because this occupation attracts many qualified candidates.
  • Police and Detectives
    • Police and detective work can be dangerous and stressful.
    • Competition should remain keen for higher paying jobs with State and Federal agencies and police departments in affluent areas; opportunities will be better in local and special police departments that offer relatively low salaries or in urban communities where the crime rate is relatively high.
    • Applicants with college training in police science or military police experience should have the best opportunities.
  • Private Detectives and Investigators
    • Work hours are often irregular, and the work can be dangerous.
    • About 1 in 4 are self-employed.
    • Applicants typically have related experience in areas such as law enforcement, insurance, the military, or government investigative or intelligence jobs.
    • Despite faster-than-average employment growth, keen competition is expected because of the large number of qualified people who are attracted to this occupation; the most opportunities will be found in entry-level jobs with detective agencies or in stores that hire detectives on a part-time basis.
  • Security Guards and Gaming Surveillance Officers
    • Opportunities for most jobs should be favorable, but competition is expected for higher paying positions at facilities requiring longer periods of training and a high level of security, such as nuclear power plants and weapons installations.
    • Because of limited formal training requirements and flexible hours, this occupation attracts many individuals seeking a second or part-time job.
    • Some positions, such as those of armored car guards, are hazardous.
  • First-line Supervisors/Managers, Protective Service Workers, all other
  • Protective Service Workers, all other

Quick Stats

Gaming surveillance officers and gaming investigators

source: Employment Matrix; about this section

Earnings Graph

National Average and Percentile Annual Earnings, May 2005

Metropolitan area and State estimates.

source: Occupational Employment Statistics Program; about this section

Area and Industry Statistics

May 2005 Mean Annual Earnings and Employment, wage and salary workers

Protective service occupations
— National
U.S.: $35,750
— by State
AL: $28,470
AK: $35,830
AZ: $33,730
AR: $26,710
CA: $43,000
CO: $39,280
CT: $40,010
DE: $33,830
DC: $46,330
FL: $33,610
GA: $30,080
HI: $32,620
ID: $32,490
IL: $39,460
IN: $31,230
IA: $32,290
KS: $32,540
KY: $28,210
LA: $25,980
ME: $30,550
MD: $37,130
MA: $39,740
MI: $37,000
MN: $34,760
MS: $24,650
MO: $31,820
MT: $31,470
NE: $32,080
NV: $33,620
NH: $35,130
NJ: $43,590
NM: $30,130
NY: $40,290
NC: $30,410
ND: $31,260
OH: $33,350
OK: $29,680
OR: $37,530
PA: $34,690
RI: $38,320
SC: $28,280
SD: $30,190
TN: $28,760
TX: $33,390
UT: $31,780
VT: $34,770
VA: $35,070
WA: $41,660
WV: $26,230
WI: $34,090
WY: $32,180
GU: $26,240
PR: $20,390
VI: $26,760
— by NAICS Industry Sector
11 $22,020
21 $24,240
22 $40,360
23 $26,850
31-33 $30,580
42 $24,180
44-45 $25,170
48-49 $33,260
51 $29,780
52 $34,730
53 $25,050
54 $39,590
55 $30,020
56 $22,070
61 $27,890
62 $26,880
71 $21,350
72 $23,310
81 $20,120
92 $43,490
Also see State and Metropolitan Area and industry estimates of employment and percentile earnings for protective service occupations.
Gaming surveillance officers and gaming investigators
— National
U.S.: $28,740
— by State
AZ: $25,550
CA: $31,490
CO: $30,750
DE: $26,610
FL: $27,860
IA: $25,910
LA: $23,840
MI: $31,790
MS: $30,230
MO: $27,570
NV: $31,440
NJ: $29,870
NM: $23,740
OK: $22,830
OR: $25,800
PA: $30,600
SC: $25,190
SD: $20,290
WA: $25,770
WV: $32,340
WI: $26,900
PR: $21,500
— by NAICS Industry Sector
71 $26,340
72 $31,190
92 $29,520
Also see State and Metropolitan Area and industry estimates of employment and percentile earnings for gaming surveillance officers and gaming investigators.

Width of bars indicates mean annual wages; color of bars indicates employment.

source: Occupational Employment Statistics Program; about this section

Demographics

Protective service occupations

  • Employed persons, 2004
    • Employed persons:
    2,847,000    		Percent of total
    WomenMenBlackAsianHispanic
    21.7% 78.3% 17.9% 1.9% 11.1%
  • Full-time wage and salary workers, 2004
     EmploymentMedian weekly earnings
    $W/M ratio
    Women
    (emp.) (earn.)    		 471,000$5570.760
    Men
    (emp.) (earn.)    		 2,038,000$733
    All workers
    (emp.) (earn.)    		 2,509,000$700 

source: Current Population Survey; about this section

Union Statistics

• Union affiliation of employed wage & salary workers
• Median weekly earnings of full-time wage & salary workers

Protective service occupations

  • Employed wage and salary workers, 2005
    • Employed persons: 2,843,000
    Members of unionsRepresented by unions
    NumberPercentNumberPercent
    1,051,000 37.0% 1,109,000 39.0%
    more union employment statistics
  • Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers, 2005
    All full-time wage and salary workers $678
    — Members of unions$896
    — Represented by unions$886
    — Non-union$568
    more union earnings statistics

source: Current Population Survey; about this section

Hourly and Minimum Wage

Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates and those with earnings at or below the Federal minimum wage, 2004

Protective service occupations

Paid hourly wages 1,823,000
At or below $5.15 per hour 24,000
At $5.15 4,000
Below $5.15 20,000

source: Current Population Survey; about this section

Employee Tenure

Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers, 2004

OccupationEmployee Tenure, median (years)
Protective service occupations 5.5

source: Current Population Survey; about this section

Census Statistics

1999 employment and earnings distribution, year-round full-time workers

Supervisors, protective service workers, all other

 Percentile earnings distribution
10th25th50th75th90th
All workers
employment: 71,040
average earnings: $42,000		$18,000$25,000$35,000$51,000$72,000
Men
employment: 54,840
average earnings: $42,000		$19,000$25,000$36,000$52,000$75,000
Women
employment: 16,190
average earnings: $39,000		$17,000$24,000$33,000$48,000$65,000

source: Bureau of the Census; about this section

Fatalities

2004 Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and event or exposure

OccupationFatalities: Event or exposure
TotalTran.Viol.Cont.FallsExpo.Fires
Protective service occupations 271 126 104 12 12 4 13
First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers 24 12 7 3---
First-line supervisors/managers, law enforcement workers 10 5 5----
Miscellaneous first-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers 4------
Police officers 121 66 48----
Other protective service workers 81 25 42 5 6--
Miscellaneous protective service workers 13 8 3----
Protective service workers, all other 4------

source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities Program; about this section

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