How to hire a protective service specialist

How to hire a protective service specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step protective service specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a protective service specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new protective service specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a protective service specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the protective service specialist you need to hire. Certain protective service specialist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A protective service specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, protective service specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents protective service specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Protective Service Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Protective Service Specialist	Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.	$15-36
   Student Worker	Student workers are students who are employed while also enrolled at the university. They usually work in a department or college where they handle different tasks... Show more	$9-16
   Youth Advocate	Youth advocates are individuals who responsible for maintaining the human rights of youth while assisting them in developing their skills in all areas of life, such as education, health, employment, and relationships. These advocates are required to discuss youth development and involvement with various leaders in the community... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Child Safety
   • Foster Care
   • Social Services
   • APS
   • Community Resources
   • Criminal Justice
   • Child Protective
   • Mental Health
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Adult Protective
   • Collateral Contacts
   • Vulnerable Adults
   • Court Hearings

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a caseload TANF clients, assess clients eligibility to receive benefits, assist with placement of clients in various programs.
   • Review applicant documentation to determine eligibility for state and federal aid programs, including Medicaid, food stamps and emergency assistance.
   • Perform related adoptions and supervisory visits for state adoptions.

   More protective service specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your protective service specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A protective service specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a protective service specialist in Louisiana may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level protective service specialist usually earns less than a senior-level protective service specialist. Additionally, a protective service specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average protective service specialist salary

   $50,293yearly

   $24.18 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level protective service specialist salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average protective service specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$70,434	$34
   2	California	$65,517	$32
   3	Alaska	$62,078	$30
   4	Virginia	$61,297	$29
   5	New York	$60,785	$29
   6	Hawaii	$59,567	$29
   7	Washington	$59,499	$29
   8	Colorado	$59,079	$28
   9	New Hampshire	$58,551	$28
   10	Massachusetts	$57,913	$28
   11	Oregon	$57,320	$28
   12	Illinois	$56,001	$27
   13	Connecticut	$54,707	$26
   14	Ohio	$52,151	$25
   15	Wisconsin	$51,397	$25
   16	Rhode Island	$50,211	$24
   17	Delaware	$49,469	$24
   18	Montana	$48,654	$23
   19	Tennessee	$48,101	$23
   20	Michigan	$46,226	$22

   Average protective service specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Parsons	$69,919	$33.61	1
   2	Sutter Health	$64,851	$31.18	11
   3	New York State Restaurant Association	$58,923	$28.33
   4	Maine	$58,861	$28.30	15
   5	Loudoun County Social Svc	$57,178	$27.49
   6	Public Consulting Group	$53,736	$25.83	5
   7	Washington State University	$53,729	$25.83
   8	Colorado State Express	$52,635	$25.31
   9	Arizona Department Of Economic Security	$50,630	$24.34
   10	Georgia Department of Education	$50,150	$24.11
   11	State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia	$50,099	$24.09	43
   12	Summit County	$49,963	$24.02
   13	State Bar of Michigan	$49,470	$23.78	12
   14	The State of Oregon	$49,003	$23.56	23
   15	Springwell	$45,766	$22.00	4
   16	Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York	$45,352	$21.80	11
   17	Greater Lynn Senior Services	$45,080	$21.67	3
   18	Johns Hopkins Medicine	$44,791	$21.53	38
   19	The MetroHealth System	$41,142	$19.78
   20	Scottsdale Arts	$41,134	$19.78

4. Writing a protective service specialist job description

   A good protective service specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a protective service specialist job description:

   Protective service specialist job description example

   Become part of an inclusive organization with over 40,000 diverse employees, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of the unique communities we serve.
   
   Provides expert telecommunications activities for continuous monitoring of hospital facilities and during emergency situations requiring the coordination of information to multiple police, fire and rescue agencies as well as medical personnel.
   Responsibilities:
   
   1. Communications Systems and Documentation Receives screens, prioritizes and documents incoming and outgoing emergency and non-emergency police calls using police telephone and radio communication equipment. Provides information and assistance to callers in a pleasant, calm and sensitive manner. Documents all calls promptly and legibly using the dispatch log system.
   
   2. Information Collection and Distribution Obtains accurate information from the caller upon answering the phone or radio. Prioritizes Disseminates and Transmits accurate information in a timely manner to hospital police and/or hospital security services and requests additional assistance as needed from local police or fire agencies. Refers non-law enforcement matters to appropriate departments or personnel. Enters pertinent information into (CAD) Computer Aided Dispatch system, generates and distributes reports in RMS report writing system. Conducts want and warrant searches, identity checks, registration checks and vehicle owner information. Maintains contact with all police officers, security, and employees assigned police radios on assignment maintains status and location of all field units. Analyzes situations accurately and takes effective action to help assure officer and public safety.
   
   3. Monitors Fire Alarm Systems Acts as a 24 Hour Liaison for Simplex Fire Emergency Calls (Outside Facilities). Conducts Fire Drills Documents all Fire Alarms and Fire Drills within the Hospital Complex Monitors and dispatches officers according to written protocol for all Hospitals Fire Alarms Acknowledges, Signal Silences and Resets Fire Alarm Conducts Overhead Pages for Fire Alarms Receives Elevator Emergency Calls
   
   4. Regulated High Priority Monitoring systems Monitors State and Federal regulated systems and areas via Camera/Security Alarms and dispatches officers for a Security Breech. Receives Alarms from regulated Central Monitoring stations. Knowledgeable with regulated Security/Environmental Alarm Response Policy, Protocol and Procedures. Communicates with Outside Agency Central Monitoring to resolve alarms. Pages/Contacts the Incident Action Team for immediate alert/notification.
   
   5. Surveillance and Alarms Operates and maintains surveillance and alarm systems. Monitors multiple video monitors and various alarm systems. Operates electronic access system, as requested. Participates and assists in documentation of Panic Alarm, Hugs Infant Abduction System testing. Documents/Reports deficiencies for security systems testing Documents Work Request for Plant Engineering Department as required.
   
   Other Information
   
   Other information:
   
   Education Requirements:
   
   ● High School diploma or GED
   
   Licensure/Certification Requirements:
   
   ● No licensure or certification required.
   
   Professional Experience Requirements:
   
   ● No experience is required.
   
   Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:
   
   Job Details
   
   Legal Employer: NCHEALTH
   
   Entity: UNC Rex Holly Springs Hospital
   
   Organization Unit: HS Protective Services
   
   Work Type: Per Diem
   
   Standard Hours Per Week: 4.00
   
   Work Schedule: Variable
   
   Location of Job: US:NC:Holly Springs
   
   Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No
   
   This position is employed by NC Health (Rex Healthcare, Inc., d/b/a NC Health), a private, fully-owned subsidiary of UNC Heath Care System. This is not a State employed position.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find protective service specialists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any protective service specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level protective service specialists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your protective service specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit protective service specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit protective service specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new protective service specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the protective service specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new protective service specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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