Skip to content
Career Change Finder

Protective Service Careers

26 careers in Protective Service (SOC group 33), with BLS median pay and the education most workers have.

Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers

  1. 1Security Guards

    $38,020 · High school

  2. 2Customs and Border Protection Officers

    $76,210 (broader group) · Training or associate

  3. 3Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

    $76,210 · Training or associate

  4. 4Correctional Officers and Jailers

    $58,940 · High school

  5. 5Firefighters

    $59,280 · High school

  6. 6Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

    $33,580 · High school

  7. 7First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

    $106,040 · High school

  8. 8Detectives and Criminal Investigators

    $93,790 · Training or associate

  9. 9Intelligence Analysts

    $93,790 (broader group) · Bachelor's degree

  10. 10Police Identification and Records Officers

    $93,790 (broader group) · Training or associate

  11. 11First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

    $93,530 · Training or associate

  12. 12Crossing Guards and Flaggers

    $38,100 · High school

  13. 13Retail Loss Prevention Specialists

    $42,540 (broader group) · High school

  14. 14First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

    $55,940 · High school

  15. 15School Bus Monitors

    $35,100 · High school

  16. 16First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

    $77,970 · Training or associate

  17. 17Transportation Security Screeners

    $66,770 · High school

  18. 18Private Detectives and Investigators

    $51,220 · Training or associate

  19. 19Bailiffs

    $56,600 · Training or associate

  20. 20Fire Inspectors and Investigators

    $75,920 · Training or associate

  21. 21Animal Control Workers

    $45,660 · High school

  22. 22Gambling Surveillance Officers and Gambling Investigators

    $43,370 · High school

  23. 23Parking Enforcement Workers

    $46,730 · High school

  24. 24Fish and Game Wardens

    $74,060 · Training or associate

  25. 25Transit and Railroad Police

    $90,230 · Training or associate

  26. 26Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists

    $56,870 · Training or associate

How this list is made: All careers in this BLS occupation group that have full data, most common jobs first (BLS employment). Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025 national median.

Keep exploring

All ways to browse careers →

Sources. Skills, tasks and education: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Data Sources & Licenses