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Protective service specialist salary
Average protective service specialist salary
$50,293
Understanding the Protective Service Specialist Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Protective Service Specialist stands at $50,293 per year or about $24 per hour. This compensation can vary significantly based on factors such as experience level, geographic location, and the specific sector within which one is employed.
State Variations
In states with high demand for security personnel, salaries can be notably higher. For example, states like California and New York offer some of the highest wages for this profession. Conversely, areas with less demand may present lower salary figures.
Experience Matters
The level of experience also plays a crucial role in determining salary. Entry-level specialists may start at lower salaries, while those with extensive experience or specialized training can command significantly higher compensation.
Job Opportunities
Protective Service Specialists can find employment in various sectors, including government agencies, private security firms, and corporate environments. Exploring job postings on platforms like Zippia can lead to numerous opportunities tailored to different experience levels and salary expectations.
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Where can a Protective Service Specialist earn more?
Protective service specialist salaries by experience level
Average protective service specialist salary by state
The average protective service specialist salary in New Jersey, Maryland, and Minnesota are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average protective service specialist salary states are Louisiana, Kentucky, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for protective service specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $69,958 | $33.63 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $87,273 | $41.96 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $65,242 | $31.37 |
| 4 | Nevada | $64,156 | $30.84 |
| 5 | New York | $62,559 | $30.08 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $58,036 | $27.90 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $55,091 | $26.49 |
| 8 | Washington | $58,323 | $28.04 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $59,650 | $28.68 |
| 10 | Alaska | $59,378 | $28.55 |
| 11 | Texas | $62,030 | $29.82 |
| 12 | California | $62,442 | $30.02 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $59,300 | $28.51 |
| 14 | Oregon | $56,347 | $27.09 |
| 15 | Colorado | $59,045 | $28.39 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $59,418 | $28.57 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $68,853 | $33.10 |
| 18 | Maine | $52,127 | $25.06 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $58,643 | $28.19 |
| 20 | Iowa | $51,441 | $24.73 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $56,566 | $27.20 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $50,539 | $24.30 |
| 23 | Virginia | $59,480 | $28.60 |
| 24 | Illinois | $55,815 | $26.83 |
| 25 | Idaho | $55,259 | $26.57 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $55,035 | $26.46 |
| 27 | Kansas | $54,822 | $26.36 |
| 28 | Ohio | $50,977 | $24.51 |
| 29 | Montana | $48,541 | $23.34 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $49,502 | $23.80 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $48,815 | $23.47 |
| 32 | Delaware | $49,725 | $23.91 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $51,419 | $24.72 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $50,213 | $24.14 |
| 35 | Vermont | $50,726 | $24.39 |
| 36 | Michigan | $46,075 | $22.15 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $46,213 | $22.22 |
| 38 | Arizona | $43,959 | $21.13 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $47,801 | $22.98 |
| 40 | Florida | $44,749 | $21.51 |
| 41 | Utah | $46,556 | $22.38 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $48,618 | $23.37 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $41,660 | $20.03 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $40,939 | $19.68 |
| 45 | Indiana | $42,165 | $20.27 |
| 46 | Missouri | $44,363 | $21.33 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $38,744 | $18.63 |
| 48 | Alabama | $41,959 | $20.17 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $41,453 | $19.93 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $35,224 | $16.93 |
| 51 | Georgia | $36,002 | $17.31 |
Highest paying cities for protective service specialists
The highest-paying cities for protective service specialists are Baltimore, MD, Fremont, CA, and Fairbanks, AK.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore, MD | $70,434 | $33.86 |
| 2 | Fremont, CA | $65,517 | $31.50 |
| 3 | Fairbanks, AK | $62,078 | $29.85 |
| 4 | Leesburg, VA | $61,297 | $29.47 |
| 5 | Albany, NY | $60,785 | $29.22 |
| 6 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $59,567 | $28.64 |
| 7 | Olympia, WA | $59,499 | $28.61 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $59,079 | $28.40 |
| 9 | Concord, NH | $58,551 | $28.15 |
| 10 | Waltham, MA | $57,913 | $27.84 |
| 11 | Medford, OR | $57,320 | $27.56 |
| 12 | Arlington Heights, IL | $56,001 | $26.92 |
| 13 | Hartford, CT | $54,707 | $26.30 |
| 14 | Cleveland, OH | $52,151 | $25.07 |
| 15 | Kenosha, WI | $51,397 | $24.71 |
| 16 | Providence, RI | $50,211 | $24.14 |
| 17 | Dover, DE | $49,469 | $23.78 |
| 18 | Helena, MT | $48,654 | $23.39 |
| 19 | Hendersonville, TN | $48,101 | $23.13 |
| 20 | Detroit, MI | $46,226 | $22.22 |
Protective service specialist salary details
A protective service specialist's salary ranges from $32,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $76,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a protective service specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| Average | $50,293 | $4,191 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
Highest paying protective service specialist jobs
The highest paying types of protective service specialists are specialist, school social worker, and child welfare specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student Worker | $25,735 | $2,145 | $12.37 | 82,353 |
| Youth Advocate | $33,924 | $2,827 | $16.31 | 78,437 |
| Youth Worker | $32,242 | $2,687 | $15.50 | 87,360 |
| Case Worker | $41,459 | $3,455 | $19.93 | 107,329 |
| Family Support Worker | $38,207 | $3,184 | $18.37 | 159,875 |
| Child Care Counselor | $36,843 | $3,070 | $17.71 | 100,538 |
Top companies hiring protective service specialists now:
Which companies pay protective service specialists the most?
Protective service specialist salaries at Parsons and Sutter Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average protective service specialist salary at companies like New York State Restaurant Association and Maine are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parsons | $69,919 | $33.61 |
| 2 | Sutter Health | $64,851 | $31.18 |
| 3 | New York State Restaurant Association | $58,923 | $28.33 |
| 4 | Maine | $58,861 | $28.30 |
| 5 | Loudoun County Social Svc | $57,178 | $27.49 |
| 6 | Public Consulting Group | $53,736 | $25.83 |
| 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 |
| 12 | Summit County | $49,963 | $24.02 |
| 13 | State Bar of Michigan | $49,470 | $23.78 |
| 14 | The State of Oregon | $49,003 | $23.56 |
| 15 | Springwell | $45,766 | $22.00 |
| 16 | Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York | $45,352 | $21.80 |
| 17 | Greater Lynn Senior Services | $45,080 | $21.67 |
| 18 | Johns Hopkins Medicine | $44,791 | $21.53 |
| 19 | The MetroHealth System | $41,142 | $19.78 |
| 20 | Scottsdale Arts | $41,134 | $19.78 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Protective service specialist salary trends
The average protective service specialist salary has risen by $8,048 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average protective service specialist earned $42,245 annually, but today, they earn $50,293 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for protective service specialists over the last decade.
Compare protective service specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average protective service specialist salary over time
Compare protective service specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Protective service specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,300 | $24.18 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $49,200 | $23.66 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $48,100 | $23.10 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | $46,100 | $22.16 | +2.5% |
| 2021 | $44,900 | $21.59 | +2.1% |
Recently added protective service specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma Human Services | Adult Protective Services Specialist I/II | Oklahoma City, OK | 06/26/2025 | $38,857 |
| State of Oregon | Child Protective Services (Social Service Specialist 1) | Enterprise, OR | 06/20/2025 | $57,996 |
| State of Alaska | Protective Services Specialist 4 (PCN 063072) | Nome, AK | 06/20/2025 | $83,751 |
| Arlington County, Va | Human Services Clinician II-Child Protective Services | Arlington, VA | 06/13/2025 | $80,725 |
| A-Line Staffing Solutions | Remote Adult Protective Services Specialist | Harrisburg, PA | 06/11/2025 | $56,349 |
| State of Tennessee | Adult Protective Services Investigative Specialist | Greencastle, IN | 06/10/2025 | $43,140 |
| Oregon | Adult Protective Service Specialist | Gold Beach, OR | 05/25/2025 | $57,996 |
| Department of Education | Protective Service Specialist, GS/13, FPL 13, (MP) | Washington, DC | 05/23/2025 | $101,401 |
| State of Oregon | Adult Protective Service Specialist | Gold Beach, OR | 05/21/2025 | $57,996 |
| Lancaster County CTC | Protective Services Instructor | Kane, PA | 05/21/2025 | $71,086 |
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