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
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
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.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Bailiffs work in protective service roles with a national employment level of 19,000 and a national median annual salary of $57,050. This career combines people-focused interaction with the need for reliability, awareness, and physical readiness. Employers typically look for strong customer service abilities, interpersonal skills, and clear speaking and listening, along with problem solving and decision making. The work can also call for physical strength and stamina, adaptability, and attention to detail. While projected national employment growth is -2.2%, there are still about 2,000 annual openings, reflecting ongoing replacement needs. Opportunity varies by location, with some states and metro areas showing higher median pay and stronger overall opportunity scores. For individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent who want a structured, security-oriented role and are willing to build a broad skill set that includes technology use, leadership, and mechanical aptitude, this can be a solid option to explore, especially in higher-opportunity regions.
Bailiffs earn a national median annual salary of $57,050, but pay differs notably by state and metro area. Among states, Massachusetts stands out with a median salary of $86,730, followed by Washington at $78,290 and New York at $77,540. Colorado and Virginia also exceed the national median, at $63,320 and $62,290 respectively. Metro areas show even more variation. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA reports a median salary of $100,570, and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ offers $83,360. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV have medians of $79,570 and $61,240. In contrast, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD shows a median of $47,600. Overall, the data suggests that selecting certain states or major metros can significantly influence earnings potential for bailiffs.
Nationally, bailiffs have a projected employment growth rate of -2.2%, with current employment at 19,000. Despite this negative growth projection, there are still about 2,000 annual openings. This combination indicates that while the total number of positions may slowly decline, there is ongoing movement within the occupation as workers retire, change careers, or leave the workforce. The -2.2% projected growth rate appears consistently across the top states and metro areas listed, suggesting relatively similar directional trends in those regions. For career planning, this means prospective bailiffs should pay attention to local conditions and opportunity scores rather than assuming uniform prospects everywhere. Individuals considering this field may benefit from focusing on higher-opportunity states and metropolitan areas, where the balance of employment levels, salaries, and overall opportunity scores may make it easier to secure roles even in a slowly shrinking occupation.
Location plays a major role in bailiff career opportunities. Among states, Massachusetts and New York rank highest by opportunity score, at 65.87 and 65.78, with relatively high median salaries of $86,730 and $77,540 and employment levels of 930 and 3,830 respectively. Washington and Virginia also provide solid options, posting opportunity scores of 56.29 and 54.96 and median salaries of $78,290 and $62,290. Colorado offers a median salary of $63,320, but with lower employment of 70 and an opportunity score of 56.97. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ leads with an opportunity score of 77.27, a median salary of $83,360, and employment of 2,730. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA combines a very high median salary of $100,570 with smaller employment of 110 and an opportunity score of 61.92. Boston, Washington DC-area, and Philadelphia metros also present notable clusters, each with distinct mixes of pay, employment size, and opportunity.
The typical education requirement for bailiffs is a high school diploma or equivalent. From there, success in this field depends heavily on a broad set of practical skills. Customer service and interpersonal skills are central, reflecting frequent interactions with others. Speaking and listening skills help with clear communication, while problem solving and decision making support sound judgment in day-to-day situations. Physical strength and stamina may be important where the role is more physically demanding, and adaptability helps bailiffs respond to changing circumstances. Being detail oriented supports accuracy and reliability, and leadership skills can be valuable when guiding others or managing situations. The occupation also values comfort with computers and information technology, as well as mechanical aptitude. Together, this combination of education and skills offers an accessible entry point for individuals ready to develop both people-oriented and practical capabilities.
Use CareerGPS Pro to compare markets, understand the tradeoffs, and focus on the places with the strongest potential.
