Executive Summary

About 83,110 protective service workers, all other work nationally, and $41,600 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 27% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.7% annual growth.

Protective Service Workers, All Other: what the data shows

Common questions about protective service workers, all other careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a protective service workers, all other?

Protective Service Workers, All Other is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 33-9099.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 83,110 workers.

What does a protective service workers, all other do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Assisting and Caring for Others, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a protective service workers, all other make?

BLS national median annual wage: $41,600 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $48,347 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$36,406
25th percentile$38,309
Median (50th)$40,818
75th percentile$50,115
90th percentile$67,784

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Monitoring, Active Listening, Coordination, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Law and Government. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is protective service workers, all other in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.7% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: 8.6%.

Ten-year projected employment change: 17.9%.

Current U.S. headcount: 83,110.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do protective service workers, all others work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry83,11017.6%
Educational Services57,49012.2%
Elementary and Secondary Schools55,35011.8%
Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)50,30010.7%
Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)40,4208.6%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only32,8107.0%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Protective Service Workers, All Other in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

What careers are related?

Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian wage
First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other20,460$74,960
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers143,590$33,720
Airfield Operations Specialists16,640$56,750
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents472,300$78,140
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel1,189,330$66,260

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Protective Service Workers, All Other workforce.

Employment Over Time

83,110 U.S. workforce (OEWS)

California employment for Protective Service Workers, All Other grew from 71,480 in 2009 to 93,020 in 2025 (30.1%).

Historical employment for Protective Service Workers, All Other from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$41,600 Median pay (BLS national)

Protective Service Workers, All Other earn $41,600 as the BLS national median annual wage.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Salary distribution for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Employment Growth Projections

1.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

101,000 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 8.6%

109,665 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 17.9%

This occupation is projected to grow at 1.7% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Protective Service Workers, All Other and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Protective Service Workers, All Other employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Wage Trends by Industry

-2.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 23,390 employees, $47,010 avg wage
  • TX: 5,970 employees, $42,780 avg wage
  • VA: 5,170 employees, $46,190 avg wage
  • CO: 5,020 employees, $47,200 avg wage
  • PA: 4,670 employees, $38,030 avg wage
  • WA: 4,560 employees, $46,210 avg wage
  • FL: 3,790 employees, $49,740 avg wage
  • NJ: 3,410 employees, $53,670 avg wage
  • OH: 2,840 employees, $47,630 avg wage
  • OR: 2,480 employees, $49,660 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 6,930 employees, $46,130 avg wage
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,650 employees, $58,380 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 2,940 employees, $46,090 avg wage
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 2,720 employees, $46,710 avg wage
  • Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 2,710 employees, $47,170 avg wage
  • Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,510 employees, $40,040 avg wage
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 2,410 employees, $52,380 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 2,040 employees, $44,190 avg wage
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 1,690 employees, $77,220 avg wage
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,630 employees, $45,620 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Diversity

Demographic information on Protective Service Workers, All Other in the US.

Gender and Age

The U.S. workforce for Protective Service Workers, All Other is about 83,110 people in our OEWS extract.

Gender and age distribution for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Protective Service Workers, All Other in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.

Common majors for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Protective Service Workers, All Other workers.

Education level distribution for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Skills

Protective Service Workers, All Other need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Monitoring, Active Listening, Coordination.

Required skills for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Protective Service Workers, All Other include Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Law and Government, Psychology.

Knowledge areas required for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Protective Service Workers, All Other include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Selective Attention, Far Vision.

Required abilities for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Protective Service Workers, All Other.

Daily Activities

Protective Service Workers, All Other spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Assisting and Caring for Others, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.

Most important work activities for Protective Service Workers, All Other.

About

Protective Service Workers, All Other

Protective Service Workers, All Other earn $41,600 as the BLS national median annual wage.

SOC Code

33-9099 - Protective Service Workers, All Other

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Protective Service Workers, All Other reports an average salary of $48,347.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 83,110 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.