SalariesWhat the occupation covers
All protective service workers not listed separately.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 33-9099.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $32,470 | $2,706 | $624 | $15.61 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $35,420 | $2,952 | $681 | $17.03 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $42,540 | $3,545 | $818 | $20.45 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $54,910 | $4,576 | $1,056 | $26.40 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $74,590 | $6,216 | $1,434 | $35.86 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Protective Service Workers, All Other is $42,540, which is 17% lower. Among the 24 occupations of the field Protective Service, it ranks number 20 by median pay. With 81,500 jobs, it makes up about 5.2 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($48,070) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Protective Service Workers, All Other pay by state
The highest median pay was in New Hampshire ($88,960), District of Columbia ($88,570) and Alabama ($86,350). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($26,680), Arkansas ($31,270) and Texas ($33,500). The most jobs were in California (26,360), Pennsylvania (5,720) and Colorado (4,640). The occupation is most concentrated in Wyoming, where its share of all jobs is 4.0 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 90 | $88,960 | $83,910 | $42.77 |
| District of Columbia | 80 | $88,570 | $88,990 | $42.58 |
| Alabama | 330 | $86,350 | $73,800 | $41.51 |
| New Mexico | 650 | $64,940 | $74,380 | $31.22 |
| Wisconsin | 910 | $57,620 | $56,900 | $27.70 |
| Vermont | 60 | $57,490 | $57,830 | $27.64 |
| Hawaii | 110 | $57,370 | $74,400 | $27.58 |
| Alaska | 400 | $56,120 | $55,180 | $26.98 |
| New Jersey | 3,520 | $54,950 | $56,840 | $26.42 |
| Nevada | 910 | $54,790 | $57,040 | $26.34 |
| Rhode Island | 60 | $54,630 | $64,630 | $26.27 |
| North Dakota | 230 | $53,460 | $55,730 | $25.70 |
| Maryland | 930 | $52,780 | $56,610 | $25.38 |
| New York | 1,930 | $52,690 | $58,680 | $25.33 |
| Oklahoma | 150 | $52,360 | $52,090 | $25.18 |
| Massachusetts | 610 | $50,040 | $53,850 | $24.06 |
| Maine | 170 | $49,940 | $51,040 | $24.01 |
| Mississippi | 180 | $49,800 | $47,910 | $23.94 |
| Michigan | 730 | $49,730 | $51,580 | $23.91 |
| Utah | 910 | $49,610 | $61,720 | $23.85 |
| Oregon | 2,180 | $49,520 | $52,920 | $23.81 |
| Missouri | 240 | $49,290 | $51,100 | $23.70 |
| Arizona | 970 | $49,090 | $55,570 | $23.60 |
| Indiana | 240 | $47,930 | $47,260 | $23.05 |
| Nebraska | 80 | $47,090 | $56,720 | $22.64 |
| Idaho | 170 | $46,580 | $51,910 | $22.39 |
| Kentucky | 540 | $46,580 | $47,560 | $22.39 |
| Georgia | 1,260 | $45,200 | $51,010 | $21.73 |
| Ohio | 1,520 | $44,890 | $48,920 | $21.58 |
| Louisiana | 2,370 | $44,410 | $46,270 | $21.35 |
| Colorado | 4,640 | $44,340 | $49,130 | $21.32 |
| Florida | 2,790 | $44,310 | $48,840 | $21.30 |
| South Carolina | 320 | $44,130 | $45,790 | $21.22 |
| Tennessee | 830 | $44,100 | $49,730 | $21.20 |
| North Carolina | 790 | $43,740 | $50,360 | $21.03 |
| West Virginia | 170 | $43,700 | $51,560 | $21.01 |
| South Dakota | 130 | $42,260 | $45,660 | $20.32 |
| Washington | 4,530 | $42,170 | $45,480 | $20.27 |
| Kansas | 300 | $42,150 | $42,860 | $20.26 |
| Montana | 310 | $41,660 | $48,340 | $20.03 |
| Wyoming | 590 | $40,330 | $46,550 | $19.39 |
| Delaware | 130 | $39,520 | $41,780 | $19.00 |
| California | 26,360 | $39,330 | $46,100 | $18.91 |
| Minnesota | 670 | $38,330 | $45,400 | $18.43 |
| Iowa | not published | $38,160 | $42,620 | $18.35 |
| Illinois | 600 | $38,020 | $48,560 | $18.28 |
| Connecticut | 910 | $37,480 | $49,490 | $18.02 |
| Virginia | 4,000 | $35,230 | $47,230 | $16.94 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,720 | $34,320 | $37,770 | $16.50 |
| Texas | 4,360 | $33,500 | $41,640 | $16.11 |
| Arkansas | 560 | $31,270 | $36,110 | $15.03 |
| Puerto Rico | 660 | $26,680 | $30,380 | $12.83 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Parking Enforcement Workers$46,730 a year
- Animal Control Workers$45,660 a year
- Gambling Surveillance Officers and Gambling Investigators$43,370 a year
- Crossing Guards and Flaggers$38,100 a year
- Security Guards$38,020 a year
- School Bus Monitors$35,100 a year
Common questions
How much do Protective Service Workers, All Other earn in the United States?
The median pay was $42,540 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $32,470 and the highest-paid 10% more than $74,590.
How many people work as Protective Service Workers, All Other?
About 81,500 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.