Public safety officer demographics and statistics in the US
Public safety officer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates public safety officer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our public safety 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 public safety officers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 55,855 public safety officers currently employed in the United States.
- 23.3% of all public safety officers are women, while 76.7% are men.
- The average public safety officer age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of public safety officers is White (59.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (19.5%), Black or African American (11.9%) and Unknown (4.6%).
- Public safety officers are most in-demand in Boston, MA.
- The health care industry is the highest-paying for public safety officers.
- 7% of all public safety officers are LGBT.
On this page
Public safety officer demographics by:
Public safety officer gender statistics
23.3% of public safety officers are women and 76.7% of public safety officers are men.
- Male, 76.7%
- Female, 23.3%
Public safety officer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 76.7% |
| Female | 23.3% |
Public safety officer gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$37,499
Female income
$35,750
Public safety officer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in public safety officer positions over time. Currently, 23.3% of public safety officers are female.
Public safety officer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 77.90% | 22.10% |
| 2011 | 77.86% | 22.14% |
| 2012 | 77.62% | 22.38% |
| 2013 | 78.43% | 21.57% |
| 2014 | 78.26% | 21.74% |
| 2015 | 78.84% | 21.16% |
| 2016 | 79.24% | 20.76% |
| 2017 | 78.85% | 21.15% |
| 2018 | 77.24% | 22.76% |
| 2019 | 76.48% | 23.52% |
| 2020 | 79.07% | 20.93% |
| 2021 | 76.66% | 23.34% |
Public safety officer related jobs gender ratio
We compared public safety officers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, deputy sheriff-k9 handler and fugitive investigator have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Matron | 8% | 92% |
| Deputy Treasurer | 19% | 81% |
| Unemployment Examiner | 29% | 71% |
| Public Safety Officer | 77% | 23% |
| Town Marshal | 96% | 4% |
| Fugitive Investigator | 97% | 3% |
| Deputy Sheriff-K9 Handler | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Public safety officer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among public safety officers is White, which makes up 59.6% of all public safety officers. Comparatively, 19.5% of public safety officers are Hispanic or Latino and 11.9% of public safety officers are Black or African American.
- White, 59.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 19.5%
- Black or African American, 11.9%
- Unknown, 4.6%
- Asian, 3.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
Public safety officer race
| Public safety officer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 59.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.5% |
| Black or African American | 11.9% |
| Unknown | 4.6% |
| Asian | 3.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
Public safety officer race and ethnicity over time
See how public safety officer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Public safety officer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.42% | 12.17% | 2.74% | 16.91% |
| 2011 | 65.59% | 12.22% | 2.99% | 16.27% |
| 2012 | 65.28% | 12.28% | 2.54% | 16.33% |
| 2013 | 65.78% | 11.66% | 2.70% | 16.47% |
| 2014 | 65.17% | 11.73% | 2.89% | 16.73% |
| 2015 | 64.54% | 12.07% | 3.09% | 17.33% |
| 2016 | 64.40% | 12.18% | 2.75% | 17.70% |
| 2017 | 63.98% | 12.25% | 2.79% | 17.62% |
| 2018 | 63.10% | 11.52% | 3.28% | 18.58% |
| 2019 | 64.51% | 11.08% | 3.09% | 18.14% |
| 2020 | 61.48% | 12.32% | 3.32% | 18.10% |
| 2021 | 59.58% | 11.88% | 3.44% | 19.47% |
Public safety officer wage gap by race
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $36,891 |
| White | $37,242 |
| Black or African American | $36,046 |
| Asian | $38,751 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $38,636 |
Average public safety officer age
See how the average age of public safety officers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Public safety officer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 42 | 43 |
| Unknown | 38 | 37 |
| Asian | 38 | 43 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 36 |
| White | 39 | 39 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 41.5 |
Public safety officer age breakdown
The average age of public safety officers is 40+ years years old, representing 50% of the public safety officer population.
Public safety officer age breakdown
| Public Safety Officer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 50% |
| 30-40 years | 34% |
| 20-30 years | 16% |
Public safety officer educational attainment
- Bachelor's, 38%
- Associate, 27%
- High School Diploma, 21%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Public safety officers by degree level
| Public safety officer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 38% |
| Associate | 27% |
| High School Diploma | 21% |
| Diploma | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Public safety officer jobs you might like
Public safety officer wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,871 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,926 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $39,064 |
| Doctorate Degree | $40,245 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $37,448 |
Public safety officer employment statistics
Most public safety officers work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where public safety officers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where public safety officers work.
Public safety officer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 11% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 24% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 17% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 36% |
| > 10,000 employees | 7% |
Public safety officer jobs by company type
Employees with the public safety officer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most public safety officers prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Public safety officer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 56% |
| Public | 2% |
| Private | 33% |
| Government | 9% |
Public safety officer jobs by industry
The most common industries for public safety officers are education, health care and government.
Public safety officer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 51% |
| Health Care | 19% |
| Government | 7% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Utilities | 4% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Public safety officer turnover and employment statistics
Public safety officer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for public safety officers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Public safety officer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Public safety officer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.07% |
| 2011 | 2.19% |
| 2012 | 1.94% |
| 2013 | 1.72% |
| 2014 | 1.41% |
| 2015 | 1.11% |
| 2016 | 1.02% |
| 2017 | 1.12% |
| 2018 | 0.98% |
| 2019 | 1.03% |
| 2020 | 1.37% |
| 2021 | 1.40% |
Average public safety officer tenure
The average public safety officer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 8,138 public safety officers resumes in Zippia's database.
Public safety officer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Public safety officer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of public safety 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jail Guard | 5.55% | 16,153 |
| Public Safety Officer | 7.15% | - |
| Detective And Intelligence Analyst | 8.65% | 12,060 |
| Deputy Bailiff | 11.11% | 1,804 |
Similar public safety officer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Jail Guard | 5.55% | 16,153 |
| Detective And Intelligence Analyst | 8.65% | 12,060 |
| Deputy Bailiff | 11.11% | 1,804 |
Foreign languages spoken by public safety officers
The most common foreign language among public safety officers is Spanish at 72.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 7.1% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 3.8%.
- Spanish, 72.6%
- French, 7.1%
- Arabic, 3.8%
- German, 3.0%
- Portuguese, 1.9%
- Other, 11.6%
Public safety officer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 72.6% |
| French | 7.1% |
| Arabic | 3.8% |
| German | 3.0% |
| Portuguese | 1.9% |
| Other | 11.6% |
