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Protective Service Workers, All Other Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 33-9099 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$42,536
$20.45/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Protective Service Workers salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$32K
P25$35K
P50$43K
P75$55K
P90$75K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.4% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in private industry are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $42,536 to $54,912 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Protective Service Workers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 2.2% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of the broader market (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

the broader market is running a 4.4% job-openings rate with quits at 2.0% (BLS JOLTS).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.3 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.4M (4.4% rate), hires flat at 5.3M, quits steady at 2.0%.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: national wages rose 3.2% over the year while CPI reached 3.5%, the first negative real-wage reading since 2022. Benefit costs accelerated to 3.8%.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Protective Service Workers, All Other is $42,536 per year ($20.45/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $35,422 and $54,912 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $74,589 per year. There are approximately 81,500 protective service workers, all other employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

All protective service workers not listed separately.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.5%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
23K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
84K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
1% from new growth99% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
28K$37,940
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
14K$55,180
Employment Services
NAICS 561300
5K$35,050
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
5K$54,680
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
4K$56,580
Wage range across top 5 industries: $35,050 to $56,580 (61% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$15.61$32,469
P25$17.03$35,422
P50MEDIAN$20.45$42,536
P75$26.40$54,912
P90$35.86$74,589

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%

The labor market stayed steady in June: job openings were little changed at 7.4M (rate 4.4%), hires held at 5.3M, and total separations changed little at 5.4M. Quits were 3.2M (rate 2.0%). Openings rose in transportation, warehousing & utilities (+97K) and fell in wholesale trade (-74K).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average protective service workers, all other salary?

The national median salary for Protective Service Workers, All Other is $42,536 per year ($20.45/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $35,422 and $54,912 annually.

How much do top-earning protective service workers, all other make?

The 90th percentile salary for Protective Service Workers, All Other is $74,589 per year ($35.86/hr). The 75th percentile is $54,912 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for protective service workers, all other?

Entry-level Protective Service Workers, All Other (10th percentile) earn approximately $32,469 per year ($15.61/hr). The 25th percentile is $35,422 per year.

Related Salary Data

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Protective Service Workers, All Other Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
California26,360 workersPennsylvania5,720 workersColorado4,640 workersWashington4,530 workersTexas4,360 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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