Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
California employs 433,170 Protective Service professionals across 21 occupations. Explore salary ranges, top paying jobs, and career opportunities within the Protective Service industry.
The best-compensated occupations within Protective Service in California, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Protective Service industry in California, sorted by median salary (highest to lowest). Click any job title for state-specific salary details.
| # | Job Title | Median Salary | Mean Salary | Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $163,960 | $163,210 | 13,200 | $78/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $131,210 | $132,640 | 4,550 | $63/hr |
| 3 | First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $127,630 | $151,620 | 8,170 | $61/hr |
| 4 | Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $124,840 | $121,530 | 12,610 | $60/hr |
| 5 | Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $118,880 | $112,980 | 65,940 | $57/hr |
| 6 | Transit and Railroad Police | $109,650 | $100,450 | 100 | $52/hr |
| 7 | Fish and Game Wardens | $100,090 | $96,130 | 330 | $48/hr |
| 8 | Fire Inspectors and Investigators | $99,230 | $102,500 | 1,350 | $47/hr |
| 9 | Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists | $97,370 | $102,750 | 480 | $46/hr |
| 10 | Correctional Officers and Jailers | $96,370 | $92,410 | 37,860 | $46/hr |
| 11 | Firefighters | $85,120 | $95,090 | 31,470 | $40/hr |
| 12 | Transportation Security Screeners | $73,610 | $68,660 | 5,410 | $35/hr |
| 13 | Animal Control Workers | $62,630 | $63,690 | 1,210 | $30/hr |
| 14 | Parking Enforcement Workers | $62,280 | $64,190 | 1,710 | $29/hr |
| 15 | Private Detectives and Investigators | $61,250 | $67,040 | 4,190 | $29/hr |
| 16 | First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers | $53,960 | $59,930 | 10,850 | $25/hr |
| 17 | Crossing Guards and Flaggers | $50,610 | $55,520 | 9,390 | $24/hr |
| 18 | Gambling Surveillance Officers and Gambling Investigators | $44,740 | $46,820 | 990 | $21/hr |
| 19 | Security Guards | $43,240 | $44,920 | 199,480 | $20/hr |
| 20 | Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | $42,720 | $44,380 | 22,620 | $20/hr |
| 21 | School Bus Monitors | $38,360 | $40,120 | 1,260 | $18/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across California:
California has 21 Protective Service occupations with 433,170 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Protective Service occupation in California is First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives with a median salary of $163,960/year.
The average median salary across 21 Protective Service occupations in California is $85,131/year.
Salaries in Protective Service in California range from $34,620 (entry-level) to $204,500 (senior) across all occupations.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes organize jobs into groups. Protective Service occupations use SOC prefix 33. Data comes from BLS OEWS.
Data: BLS OEWS 2025. Salary figures represent May 2025 compensation for occupations classified under SOC code 33* in California. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources