Protective officer demographics and statistics in the US
Protective officer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates protective officer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our protective officer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about protective officers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 464,872 protective officers currently employed in the United States.
- 19.0% of all protective officers are women, while 81.0% are men.
- The average protective officer age is 43 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of protective officers is White (53.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (19.6%), Black or African American (14.5%) and Asian (5.6%).
- In 2022, women earned 98% of what men earned.
- 6% of all protective officers are LGBT.
- Protective officers are 61% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Protective officer demographics by:
Protective officer gender statistics
19.0% of protective officers are women and 81.0% of protective officers are men.
- Male, 81.0%
- Female, 19.0%
Protective officer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 81.0% |
| Female | 19.0% |
Protective officer gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$42,124
Female income
$41,461
Protective officer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in protective officer positions over time. Currently, 19.0% of protective officers are female.
Protective officer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 83.05% | 16.95% |
| 2011 | 82.07% | 17.93% |
| 2012 | 83.02% | 16.98% |
| 2013 | 83.12% | 16.88% |
| 2014 | 82.46% | 17.54% |
| 2015 | 83.02% | 16.98% |
| 2016 | 82.72% | 17.28% |
| 2017 | 81.73% | 18.27% |
| 2018 | 82.41% | 17.59% |
| 2019 | 82.02% | 17.98% |
| 2020 | 80.31% | 19.69% |
| 2021 | 81.01% | 18.99% |
Protective officer related jobs gender ratio
We compared protective officers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, rescue boat operator and bodyguard have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Playground Monitor | 18% | 82% |
| School Crossing Guard | 21% | 79% |
| Crossing Guard | 23% | 77% |
| Protective Officer | 81% | 19% |
| Bouncer | 94% | 6% |
| Bodyguard | 96% | 4% |
| Rescue Boat Operator | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Protective officer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among protective officers is White, which makes up 53.4% of all protective officers. Comparatively, 19.6% of protective officers are Hispanic or Latino and 14.5% of protective officers are Black or African American.
- White, 53.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 19.6%
- Black or African American, 14.5%
- Asian, 5.6%
- Unknown, 5.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
Protective officer race
| Protective officer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 53.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.6% |
| Black or African American | 14.5% |
| Asian | 5.6% |
| Unknown | 5.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.6% |
Protective officer race and ethnicity over time
See how protective officer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Protective officer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 62.96% | 14.81% | 4.40% | 14.42% |
| 2011 | 60.90% | 14.75% | 4.38% | 16.00% |
| 2012 | 60.57% | 15.03% | 4.30% | 16.11% |
| 2013 | 60.90% | 14.59% | 4.56% | 16.21% |
| 2014 | 59.58% | 15.43% | 4.27% | 16.54% |
| 2015 | 59.22% | 14.86% | 4.75% | 16.99% |
| 2016 | 58.85% | 14.63% | 4.53% | 17.86% |
| 2017 | 58.74% | 15.55% | 4.20% | 17.67% |
| 2018 | 58.99% | 14.43% | 4.40% | 17.68% |
| 2019 | 57.98% | 15.14% | 5.22% | 17.54% |
| 2020 | 53.31% | 15.70% | 5.27% | 18.93% |
| 2021 | 53.43% | 14.48% | 5.60% | 19.56% |
Protective officer wage gap by race
According to our data, white protective officers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown protective officers have the lowest average salary at $41,308.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $41,308 |
| White | $42,564 |
| Black or African American | $42,277 |
| Asian | $42,521 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $41,964 |
Average protective officer age
See how the average age of protective officers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Protective officer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 45 | 41 |
| Unknown | 37.5 | 39 |
| Asian | 45 | 44 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 | 36.5 |
| White | 45 | 47 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 38.5 | 37 |
Protective officer age breakdown
The average age of protective officers is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the protective officer population.
Protective officer age breakdown
| Protective Officer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 22% |
Protective officer educational attainment
The most common degree for protective officers is bachelor's degree, with 38% of protective officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 19%.
- Bachelor's, 38%
- Associate, 25%
- High School Diploma, 19%
- Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 11%
Protective officers by degree level
| Protective officer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 38% |
| Associate | 25% |
| High School Diploma | 19% |
| Diploma | 7% |
| Other Degrees | 11% |
Protective officer jobs you might like
Protective officer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, protective officers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $49,997 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, protective officers earn a median annual income of $44,772 compared to $41,154 for protective officers with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,997 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $39,121 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,772 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $41,154 |
Protective officer employment statistics
Most protective officers work for a private in the retail industry.
Company size where protective officers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where protective officers work.
Protective officer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 10% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 16% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 30% |
Protective officer jobs by company type
Employees with the protective officer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most protective officers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Protective officer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 5% |
| Public | 21% |
| Private | 61% |
| Government | 13% |
Protective officer jobs by industry
The most common industries for protective officers are retail, utilities and government.
Protective officer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Utilities | 11% |
| Retail | 11% |
| Fortune 500 | 11% |
| Government | 10% |
| Professional | 9% |
| Technology | 9% |
| Finance | 6% |
| Non Profits | 6% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Education | 4% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Protective officer turnover and employment statistics
Protective officer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for protective officers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Protective officer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Protective officer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.24% |
| 2011 | 11.62% |
| 2012 | 10.40% |
| 2013 | 9.08% |
| 2014 | 8.18% |
| 2015 | 7.21% |
| 2016 | 6.47% |
| 2017 | 5.77% |
| 2018 | 5.47% |
| 2019 | 4.75% |
| 2020 | 6.85% |
| 2021 | 7.46% |
Average protective officer tenure
The average protective officer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,240 protective officers resumes in Zippia's database.
Protective officer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 23% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Protective officer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of protective officers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Flagman | 3.84% | 2,605 |
| Protective Officer | 6.29% | - |
| Victims Advocate Clerk/Specialist | 7.17% | 74,103 |
| Swimming Instructor/Life-Guarding | 7.20% | 38,178 |
| Lead Investigator | 8.27% | 21,299 |
| Security Screener | 15.51% | 45,041 |
Similar protective officer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Flagman | 3.84% | 2,605 |
| Victims Advocate Clerk/Specialist | 7.17% | 74,103 |
| Swimming Instructor/Life-Guarding | 7.20% | 38,178 |
| Lead Investigator | 8.27% | 21,299 |
| Security Screener | 15.51% | 45,041 |
Foreign languages spoken by protective officers
The most common foreign language among protective officers is Spanish at 54.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 9.3% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 8.1%.
- Spanish, 54.7%
- French, 9.3%
- Arabic, 8.1%
- Chinese, 3.5%
- Japanese, 3.5%
- Other, 20.9%
Protective officer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 54.7% |
| French | 9.3% |
| Arabic | 8.1% |
| Chinese | 3.5% |
| Japanese | 3.5% |
| Other | 20.9% |
