High paying security and protective service jobs in America

Every security and protective service occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in America. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single security and protective service job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

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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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in America to rank honestly.

High paying security and protective service jobs in America

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Without a degree

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