Skip to content
AffordMap
Salary comparison

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

Protective Service Workers, All Others out-earn Security Guardss by $5K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Protective Service Workers, All Others land at $42,540 and Security Guardss 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 Others is New Hampshire ($88,960); for Security Guardss 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)
N/A
N/A
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 Others or Security Guardss?

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

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

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

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 Others get paid the most?

New Hampshire is the top-paying state for Protective Service Workers, All Others 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 Others earn $88,960 vs. $45,200 for Security Guardss. 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 Others by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Security Guardss by take-home payExplore →How to become a protective service workers, all otherGuide →How to become a security guardsGuide →