High paying security and protective service jobs in America with no degree

The best paid security and protective service occupations in America that require no bachelor's degree — a high school diploma, a certificate, or an associate's degree is the typical entry. This is the narrowest cut on the site, so it is also the shortest list: where a field has only two or three such occupations, there is no page at all rather than a page pretending otherwise.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025

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OccupationMedian, America · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$106,040
High school diploma or equivalent
$63,350 – $165,110154,610
2Detectives and Criminal Investigators$93,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$55,390 – $160,540114,430
3First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$93,530
Postsecondary nondegree award
$53,430 – $140,01099,140
4First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers$77,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$52,330 – $127,78053,380
5Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,510 – $115,120670,520
6Transportation Security Screeners$66,770
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,700 – $78,35050,290
7Firefighters$59,280
Postsecondary nondegree award
$34,910 – $101,040345,990
8Correctional Officers and Jailers$58,940
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,760 – $93,220380,500
9First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers$55,940
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,300 – $92,26081,480
10Protective Service Workers, All Other$42,540
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,470 – $74,59081,500
11Crossing Guards and Flaggers$38,100
No formal educational credential
$30,840 – $61,69094,360
12Security Guards$38,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,210 – $58,8401.3M
13School Bus Monitors$35,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,130 – $43,25078,420
14Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers$33,580
No formal educational credential
$25,780 – $43,970157,550

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianAmerica	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Police and DetectivesHigh school diploma or equivalent	$106,040	$63,350 – $165,110	154,610
2	Detectives and Criminal InvestigatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$93,790	$55,390 – $160,540	114,430
3	First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention WorkersPostsecondary nondegree award	$93,530	$53,430 – $140,010	99,140
4	First-Line Supervisors of Correctional OfficersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$77,970	$52,330 – $127,780	53,380
5	Police and Sheriff's Patrol OfficersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$76,210	$47,510 – $115,120	670,520
6	Transportation Security ScreenersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$66,770	$44,700 – $78,350	50,290
7	FirefightersPostsecondary nondegree award	$59,280	$34,910 – $101,040	345,990
8	Correctional Officers and JailersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,940	$42,760 – $93,220	380,500
9	First-Line Supervisors of Security WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,940	$37,300 – $92,260	81,480
10	Protective Service Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,540	$32,470 – $74,590	81,500
11	Crossing Guards and FlaggersNo formal educational credential	$38,100	$30,840 – $61,690	94,360
12	Security GuardsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,020	$30,210 – $58,840	1.3M
13	School Bus MonitorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,100	$28,130 – $43,250	78,420
14	Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service WorkersNo formal educational credential	$33,580	$25,780 – $43,970	157,550

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in America. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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High paying security and protective service jobs in America with no degree

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