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Salary comparison

Protective Service Workers, All Other vs. Security Guards: Who Earns More?

Protective Service Workers, All Other out-earn Security Guards by $5K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Protective Service Workers, All Other land at $42,540 and Security Guards at $38,020. The education gap is real: protective service workers, all other programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while security guard programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Protective Service Workers, All Other is New Hampshire ($88,960); for Security Guards it's District of Columbia ($64,210).

Protective Service Workers, All Other
Security Guards
Median salary
$42,540
$38,020
Hourly rate
$20.45/hr
$18.28/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$32,470
$30,210
Senior level (90th %)
$74,590
$58,840
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
81,500
1,283,470
Job growth (10-year)
2.5%
0.4%
Category
Public Safety
Public Safety
Top-paying state
New Hampshire
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Protective Service Workers, All Other median pay.

State
Protective Service Workers, All Other
Security Guards
New Hampshire
$88,960
$45,200
District of Columbia
$88,570
$64,210
New Mexico
$64,940
$43,320
Vermont
$57,490
$45,550
Hawaii
$57,370
$42,820
Alaska
$56,120
$47,480
New York
$52,690
$44,240
Massachusetts
$50,040
$44,670
Utah
$49,610
$42,700
Oregon
$49,520
$45,500
Colorado
$44,340
$45,150
Washington
$42,170
$47,100
California
$39,330
$43,240
Minnesota
$38,330
$43,380
Virginia
$35,230
$43,640

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Protective Service Workers, All Other or Security Guards?

Protective Service Workers, All Other earn more nationally. The median is $42,540 for Protective Service Workers, All Other versus $38,020 for Security Guards, a difference of $5K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Protective Service Workers, All Other or Security Guards?

Protective Service Workers, All Other has the better 10-year outlook at 2.5% projected growth, compared to 0.4% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Protective Service Workers, All Other or Security Guards?

Protective Service Workers, All Other typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Security Guards requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Protective Service Workers, All Other get paid the most?

New Hampshire is the top-paying state for Protective Service Workers, All Other at $88,960/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Protective Service Workers, All Other vs. Security Guards pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In New Hampshire, Protective Service Workers, All Other earn $88,960 vs. $45,200 for Security Guards. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Protective Service Workers, All Other salary breakdownView →Full Security Guards salary breakdownView →Best cities for Protective Service Workers, All Other by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Security Guards by take-home payExplore →How to become a protective service workers, all otherGuide →How to become a security guardsGuide →