United States · Pay by job
Protective Service jobs: pay and take-home
BLS counts 24 protective service jobs, done by about 3,776,600 people. The best paid is police supervisor at a median of $106,040; the most common is security guard, at $38,020 (BLS, May 2025).
BLS group: Protective Service Occupations. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
What does each protective service job pay?
| Job | Median pay | Take-home in Texas | People | Growth to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police Supervisor | $106,040 | $83,429 | 154,610 | +3.3% |
| Detective | $93,790 | $74,811 | 114,430 | +0.2% |
| Firefighting Supervisor | $93,530 | $74,628 | 99,140 | +3.7% |
| Transit and Railroad Police | $90,230 | $72,307 | 4,390 | +3.2% |
| Correctional Officer Supervisor | $77,970 | $63,682 | 53,380 | -2.5% |
| Other Protective Service Supervisor | $76,400 | $62,577 | 20,690 | +1.9% |
| Police Officer | $76,210 | $62,444 | 670,520 | +3.5% |
| Fire Inspector and Investigator | $75,920 | $62,240 | 13,800 | +4.2% |
| Fish and Game Warden | $74,060 | $60,931 | 5,770 | -5.7% |
| Transportation Security Screener | $66,770 | $55,803 | 50,290 | -4.2% |
| Firefighter | $59,280 | $49,811 | 345,990 | +3.7% |
| Correctional Officer | $58,940 | $49,538 | 380,500 | -7.4% |
| Forest Fire Inspector | $56,870 | $47,875 | 2,780 | +13.1% |
| Bailiff | $56,600 | $47,658 | 17,310 | -1.9% |
| Security Supervisor | $55,940 | $47,128 | 81,480 | +3.7% |
| Private Detective and Investigator | $51,220 | $43,335 | 35,580 | +5.5% |
| Parking Enforcement Worker | $46,730 | $39,728 | 9,050 | -1.1% |
| Animal Control Worker | $45,660 | $38,868 | 12,070 | +4% |
| Gambling Surveillance Officer | $43,370 | $37,028 | 9,520 | -1.8% |
| Other Protective Service Worker | $42,540 | $36,361 | 81,500 | +3% |
| Crossing Guard and Flagger | $38,100 | $32,793 | 94,360 | +3.5% |
| Security Guard | $38,020 | $32,729 | 1,283,470 | +0.9% |
| School Bus Monitor | $35,100 | $30,383 | 78,420 | -1.9% |
| Lifeguard and Ski Patrol | $33,580 | $29,162 | 157,550 | +5.5% |
Take-home is for a single filer on the national median (hourly-only jobs: 2,080 hours), after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare for 2026; Texas has no state income tax. Each job’s page has every state.
What do other kinds of jobs pay?
- Management 37 jobs
- Business and Finance 32 jobs
- Computer and Math 21 jobs
- Architecture and Engineering 36 jobs
- Science 48 jobs
- Community and Social Service 17 jobs
- Legal 8 jobs
- Education and Library 64 jobs
- Arts, Design, Sports and Media 41 jobs
- Healthcare Practitioners 71 jobs
- Healthcare Support 17 jobs
- Food Service 17 jobs
- Cleaning and Grounds 10 jobs
- Personal Care and Service 32 jobs
- Sales 22 jobs
- Office and Admin Support 54 jobs
- Farming, Fishing and Forestry 13 jobs
- Construction and Extraction 60 jobs
- Installation, Maintenance and Repair 51 jobs
- Production 105 jobs
- Transportation and Material Moving 50 jobs
Search every job: pay by job.
Questions about protective service pay
What is the highest-paying protective service job?
Police Supervisor, with a median of $106,040 (BLS, May 2025). Next come detective ($93,790) and firefighting supervisor ($93,530).
What is the most common protective service job?
Security Guard: about 1,283,470 people across the US, with a median of $38,020.
Which protective service jobs are growing fastest?
BLS expects the most growth from 2025 to 2035 in forest fire inspector (+13.1%), private detective and investigator (+5.5%), lifeguard and ski patrol (+5.5%).
What do protective service jobs pay after tax?
On the median pay, a single filer in Texas keeps $83,429 a year as police supervisor and $32,729 as security guard, after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare. Each job’s page works it out for 19 states.
What education do protective service jobs need?
For 18 of the 24 jobs here, BLS lists “high school diploma or equivalent” as the usual education. Each job’s page gives its own.