Protective Service Workers, All Other Salary

SOC Code: 33-9099 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$41,600
Mean Salary
$48,210
Employment
83,110
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$30,620
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$72,670

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$30,620 25th percentile
$35,540 Median (50th)
$41,600 75th percentile
$54,310 90th percentile
$72,670

Protective Service Workers, All Other Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
District of Columbia$84,360$82,71090$53,080$107,450
New Hampshire$83,510$75,510110$39,980$99,380
New Mexico$66,640$75,260670$34,890$114,620
Rhode Island$64,140$64,68070$38,160$87,840
Hawaii$60,900$73,54080$42,390$165,550
New York$59,830$63,6401,660$40,980$104,390
Maryland$55,870$60,7101,270$31,200$100,480
Wisconsin$55,660$56,920840$31,650$84,740
Nevada$55,440$59,1401,120$34,940$77,240
Alaska$55,370$56,710360$41,970$76,750
North Dakota$53,480$55,780260$37,840$76,030
Nebraska$53,350$57,26040$36,190$85,450
Missouri$50,230$56,160400$38,930$81,300
Michigan$49,670$51,660990$34,430$69,210
Arizona$49,590$56,0101,430$46,050$75,470
Utah$49,000$60,790700$34,350$135,390
Massachusetts$47,840$52,180550$34,280$79,540
New Jersey$47,370$53,6703,410$31,940$80,450
Mississippi$46,800$47,710170$22,420$68,070
West Virginia$46,760$55,660180$33,230$91,190
Wyoming$46,520$50,780460$36,370$74,060
Minnesota$46,190$48,370570$31,990$72,330
Florida$45,700$49,7403,790$32,980$74,160
Idaho$45,590$46,090280$30,260$59,030
Tennessee$44,900$50,780820$32,830$75,940
Oregon$44,590$49,6602,480$37,130$70,320
Georgia$44,540$47,2701,030$23,750$72,520
Maine$44,450$46,940230$34,090$62,750
Kansas$44,250$45,670410$27,110$66,680
Oklahoma$43,990$47,510180$36,190$64,300
Indiana$43,570$46,540240$28,430$69,140
Colorado$42,510$47,2005,020$36,200$62,400
South Dakota$42,480$46,470100$34,110$63,960
Washington$42,310$46,2104,560$34,760$60,680
North Carolina$42,120$50,230670$31,660$79,810
Ohio$41,730$47,6302,840$32,580$63,970
South Carolina$41,600$44,200410$27,960$61,210
Iowa$41,420$46,500180$32,240$60,640
Kentucky$40,910$44,910570$31,200$64,480
Louisiana$40,810$44,1302,020$27,390$66,320
Connecticut$40,590$50,860770$32,640$80,650
California$39,690$47,01023,390$35,400$65,910
Montana$39,560$41,380350$27,620$59,950
Vermont$39,560$46,82070$28,430$76,190
Delaware$38,100$42,390140$32,050$58,240
Arkansas$36,400$41,300260$26,250$61,960
Illinois$35,520$44,280710$33,430$74,310
Pennsylvania$35,260$38,0304,670$22,010$58,230
Alabama$32,910$46,500N/A$31,160$73,640
Texas$32,910$42,7805,970$24,400$59,950
Virginia$32,080$46,1905,170$26,070$82,480

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
Albuquerque, NM$100,210$82,800390
Vineland, NJ$74,950$60,27030
Cheyenne, WY$74,050$70,71030
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$61,850$63,92080
Madison, WI$61,710$60,84090
Naples-Marco Island, FL$61,410$62,04080
Medford, OR$61,020$57,44050
Albany, OR$60,900$61,16070
Trenton-Princeton, NJ$60,900$63,160200
Knoxville, TN$60,520$56,30090
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$59,660$57,620400
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$59,430$77,2201,690
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$58,650$57,1901,050
Reno, NV$58,570$62,160170
Grand Junction, CO$57,530$52,18080
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$56,620$58,3803,650
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN$56,040$54,550170
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$55,870$58,9101,120
Lafayette, LA$55,440$53,86060
Anchorage, AK$55,370$58,98040

About Protective Service Workers, All Other Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of protective service workers, all others earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.