Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
Less than 5 years
None
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other (33-1099) oversee and coordinate the work of protective service staff. Nationally, this occupation employs about 22,000 people, with a median annual salary of $74,960. Projected employment growth of 1.6% and about 2,000 annual openings indicate a steady flow of opportunities for both new entrants and experienced workers moving into supervisory roles. The role requires strong leadership alongside skills in customer service, problem solving and decision making, interpersonal communication, and project management. Being detail oriented, adaptable, and effective at speaking, listening, writing, and reading is also important, as is critical and analytical thinking. A high school diploma or equivalent is the typical education level, which may make this a realistic advancement target for protective service workers who build the right skill set. Related career paths include first-line supervisors of police and detectives, police and sheriff’s patrol officers, funeral home managers, personal service managers, and first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers.
First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other have a national median salary of $74,960, with notable variation across states and metro areas. Among the top states by opportunity score, median pay ranges from $65,490 in Colorado to $92,930 in New York and $92,690 in California. Washington and Massachusetts also show relatively strong median salaries of $79,270 and $76,280, respectively. At the metro level, pay differences are even more pronounced. Median salaries reach $98,590 in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area and $92,410 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, while the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area reports $86,860. In contrast, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro lists a median of $57,950. These figures highlight how location can significantly influence earning potential within this occupation.
This occupation has national employment of about 22,000 workers and is projected to grow by 1.6%. With approximately 2,000 annual openings, there is a consistent level of movement into these roles, which can reflect a combination of new positions and replacement needs. The uniform projected growth rate of 1.6% appears across the top states and metro areas listed, suggesting broadly similar expectations for expansion where detailed data is provided. For individuals already working in protective service roles, this outlook indicates ongoing opportunities to move into first-line supervisory positions. The combination of current employment size, modest projected growth, and recurring annual openings suggests an occupation where planning ahead and building the right leadership and problem-solving skills could position candidates well for future vacancies and advancement.
Location plays a major role in opportunity for first-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other. Among states, California, Massachusetts, and New York stand out with higher CareerGPS opportunity scores, at 67.38, 65.87, and 65.78 respectively. California and New York also offer higher median salaries of $92,690 and $92,930 and relatively larger employment levels of 2,330 and 1,840 workers. Colorado and Washington show somewhat lower opportunity scores (56.97 and 56.29) and different salary levels, with Colorado at $65,490 and Washington at $79,270. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ rank highest by opportunity score (77.42 and 77.27). San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA combines a strong score of 68.75 with the highest listed metro median salary of $98,590. By contrast, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro has a lower median salary of $57,950 despite a solid opportunity score of 64.47, illustrating substantial pay differences between regions.
The typical education for first-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other is a high school diploma or equivalent. This means that formal education barriers to entry at the supervisory level are relatively limited compared with occupations that require higher degrees. However, advancement into these roles depends heavily on skill development. Key skills include leadership and project management, which support organizing and directing protective service teams. Customer service and interpersonal abilities help supervisors work effectively with both the public and staff. Adaptability, along with problem solving and decision making, is important for responding to changing conditions. Being detail oriented and strong in speaking, listening, writing, and reading supports accurate communication and documentation. Critical and analytical thinking round out the profile, helping supervisors assess situations and evaluate options. For workers with a high school background, deliberately building these specific skills can be an important step toward qualifying for supervisory positions.
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