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

The best paid security and protective service occupations in America that require neither a degree nor prior experience in a related job. 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

1Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,510 – $115,120670,520
2Transportation Security Screeners$66,770
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,700 – $78,35050,290
3Firefighters$59,280
Postsecondary nondegree award
$34,910 – $101,040345,990
4Correctional Officers and Jailers$58,940
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,760 – $93,220380,500
5Protective Service Workers, All Other$42,540
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,470 – $74,59081,500
6Crossing Guards and Flaggers$38,100
No formal educational credential
$30,840 – $61,69094,360
7Security Guards$38,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,210 – $58,8401.3M
8School Bus Monitors$35,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,130 – $43,25078,420
9Lifeguards, 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	Police and Sheriff's Patrol OfficersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$76,210	$47,510 – $115,120	670,520
2	Transportation Security ScreenersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$66,770	$44,700 – $78,350	50,290
3	FirefightersPostsecondary nondegree award	$59,280	$34,910 – $101,040	345,990
4	Correctional Officers and JailersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,940	$42,760 – $93,220	380,500
5	Protective Service Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,540	$32,470 – $74,590	81,500
6	Crossing Guards and FlaggersNo formal educational credential	$38,100	$30,840 – $61,690	94,360
7	Security GuardsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,020	$30,210 – $58,840	1.3M
8	School Bus MonitorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,100	$28,130 – $43,250	78,420
9	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 experience

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