Protective Service Occupations Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for protective service occupationss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $60,720 ≈ $29/hr
National median salary $50,080
Total employment 3,776,610 nationwide
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$80,700
- Washington$73,020
- Alaska$72,750
- California$71,870
- New Jersey$69,580
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$41,800
- Louisiana$45,650
- West Virginia$45,980
- Arkansas$47,370
- Kentucky$47,920
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $80,700 | $73,950 | $39 | +32.9% | 29,670 |
| 2 | Washington | $73,020 | $62,090 | $35 | +20.3% | 77,850 |
| 3 | Alaska | $72,750 | $69,100 | $35 | +19.8% | 8,510 |
| 4 | California | $71,870 | $51,700 | $35 | +18.4% | 461,860 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $69,580 | $54,480 | $33 | +14.6% | 122,610 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $69,540 | $65,550 | $33 | +14.5% | 82,890 |
| 7 | Illinois | $66,900 | $56,670 | $32 | +10.2% | 153,150 |
| 8 | Oregon | $66,320 | $59,260 | $32 | +9.2% | 38,350 |
| 9 | Colorado | $65,990 | $56,930 | $32 | +8.7% | 65,970 |
| 10 | New York | $65,380 | $56,390 | $31 | +7.7% | 322,670 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $65,150 | $61,050 | $31 | +7.3% | 38,390 |
| 12 | Maryland | $64,780 | $57,520 | $31 | +6.7% | 77,060 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $64,200 | $60,420 | $31 | +5.7% | 12,010 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $63,520 | $58,980 | $31 | +4.6% | 48,790 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $63,160 | $55,760 | $30 | +4% | 20,920 |
| 16 | Delaware | $61,970 | $51,540 | $30 | +2.1% | 10,450 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $61,300 | $59,520 | $29 | +1% | 13,000 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $61,040 | $60,110 | $29 | +0.5% | 54,430 |
| 19 | Montana | $60,630 | $57,570 | $29 | -0.1% | 9,500 |
| 20 | Vermont | $60,570 | $56,910 | $29 | -0.2% | 4,840 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $60,380 | $60,590 | $29 | -0.6% | 17,320 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $59,970 | $58,350 | $29 | -1.2% | 7,990 |
| 23 | Arizona | $59,020 | $50,810 | $28 | -2.8% | 89,230 |
| 24 | Utah | $59,020 | $50,210 | $28 | -2.8% | 28,490 |
| 25 | Virginia | $58,510 | $51,120 | $28 | -3.6% | 114,200 |
| 26 | Idaho | $58,460 | $51,920 | $28 | -3.7% | 16,420 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $58,320 | $47,690 | $28 | -4% | 135,600 |
| 28 | Iowa | $58,210 | $53,410 | $28 | -4.1% | 24,190 |
| 29 | Ohio | $57,810 | $52,030 | $28 | -4.8% | 119,760 |
| 30 | Texas | $57,000 | $51,310 | $27 | -6.1% | 319,780 |
| 31 | Maine | $56,980 | $51,730 | $27 | -6.2% | 12,240 |
| 32 | Michigan | $56,870 | $52,000 | $27 | -6.3% | 80,020 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $56,780 | $49,980 | $27 | -6.5% | 26,980 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $56,770 | $55,390 | $27 | -6.5% | 7,060 |
| 35 | Florida | $56,480 | $47,130 | $27 | -7% | 264,700 |
| 36 | Nevada | $55,660 | $44,740 | $27 | -8.3% | 52,820 |
| 37 | Indiana | $55,210 | $48,960 | $27 | -9.1% | 67,370 |
| 38 | Kansas | $54,850 | $49,200 | $26 | -9.7% | 31,390 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $54,740 | $52,140 | $26 | -9.8% | 7,540 |
| 40 | Missouri | $54,580 | $46,840 | $26 | -10.1% | 62,760 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $54,080 | $46,430 | $26 | -10.9% | 42,490 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $51,770 | $46,610 | $25 | -14.7% | 76,930 |
| 43 | Georgia | $51,520 | $46,290 | $25 | -15.2% | 118,360 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $51,100 | $46,300 | $25 | -15.8% | 115,740 |
| 45 | Alabama | $49,220 | $44,450 | $24 | -18.9% | 48,670 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $48,840 | $45,330 | $23 | -19.6% | 54,160 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $47,920 | $42,310 | $23 | -21.1% | 44,000 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $47,370 | $43,350 | $23 | -22% | 28,860 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $45,980 | $45,390 | $22 | -24.3% | 16,160 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $45,650 | $41,740 | $22 | -24.8% | 58,850 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $41,800 | $37,390 | $20 | -31.2% | 33,630 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 521 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $99,090 | $93,570 | 3,960 |
| 2 | Vallejo, CA | $94,480 | $89,510 | 4,950 |
| 3 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $93,660 | $86,080 | 3,050 |
| 4 | El Centro, CA | $93,240 | $85,510 | 4,140 |
| 5 | Bellingham, WA | $84,500 | $86,330 | 2,080 |
| 6 | Vineland, NJ | $82,920 | $78,270 | 2,680 |
| 7 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $79,550 | $78,680 | 2,600 |
| 8 | Walla Walla, WA | $79,460 | $78,010 | 1,100 |
| 9 | Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $79,270 | $83,930 | 4,310 |
| 10 | Salinas, CA | $79,080 | $81,600 | 6,300 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do protective service occupations make in the U.S.?
The median protective service occupations salary in the United States is $50,080 per year (mean $60,720), and about 80% earn between $32,850 and $102,470.
How much do protective service occupations make per hour?
Roughly $29 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $60,720 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays protective service occupations the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for protective service occupations at $80,700 per year (median $73,950).