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Special officer salary
Average special officer salary
$37,839
Understanding Special Officer Salaries
On average, Special Officers earn $37,839 per year in the U.S. However, salaries can fluctuate significantly based on various factors including geographic location, level of experience, and specific job functions. For instance, special officers with several years of experience or those working in high-demand areas may see salaries exceeding the average.
In addition to base salaries, many special officers may receive benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and overtime pay, which can enhance overall compensation. States known for higher salaries for special officers include California, New York, and Texas, where the demand for security personnel is greater.
To further understand salary ranges, the table below summarizes average salaries by state:
- California: $45,000
- New York: $42,000
- Texas: $40,000
For those considering a career as a special officer, it’s beneficial to evaluate job postings to identify specific salary offers and potential career advancement opportunities. Utilizing resources like Zippia can provide insight into job markets and salary expectations tailored to your experience level and location.
Let Zippia find your next special officer job
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Where can a Special Officer earn more?
Special officer salaries by experience level
Special officer salary estimates from across the web
Average special officer salary by state
The highest-paying states for special officers are Alaska, North Dakota, and Washington. The lowest average special officer salary states are Kentucky, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for special officers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska | $47,752 | $22.96 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $50,959 | $24.50 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $44,763 | $21.52 |
| 4 | Alaska | $54,899 | $26.39 |
| 5 | Washington | $49,537 | $23.82 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $43,129 | $20.74 |
| 7 | Arizona | $39,754 | $19.11 |
| 8 | New York | $41,700 | $20.05 |
| 9 | Idaho | $38,369 | $18.45 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $42,219 | $20.30 |
| 11 | Missouri | $38,691 | $18.60 |
| 12 | Oregon | $41,235 | $19.82 |
| 13 | Maine | $40,413 | $19.43 |
| 14 | California | $44,662 | $21.47 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $38,487 | $18.50 |
| 16 | Colorado | $41,107 | $19.76 |
| 17 | Illinois | $39,596 | $19.04 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $38,742 | $18.63 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $41,521 | $19.96 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $37,098 | $17.84 |
| 21 | Iowa | $39,175 | $18.83 |
| 22 | Nevada | $37,081 | $17.83 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $39,821 | $19.14 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $37,738 | $18.14 |
| 25 | Maryland | $39,834 | $19.15 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $39,019 | $18.76 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $46,589 | $22.40 |
| 28 | Vermont | $38,837 | $18.67 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $37,978 | $18.26 |
| 30 | Utah | $38,927 | $18.71 |
| 31 | Ohio | $35,758 | $17.19 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $36,559 | $17.58 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $37,356 | $17.96 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $34,101 | $16.39 |
| 35 | Michigan | $36,181 | $17.39 |
| 36 | Virginia | $37,761 | $18.15 |
| 37 | New Jersey | $36,571 | $17.58 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $34,706 | $16.69 |
| 39 | Florida | $36,568 | $17.58 |
| 40 | Delaware | $36,016 | $17.32 |
| 41 | Montana | $36,069 | $17.34 |
| 42 | Kansas | $36,427 | $17.51 |
| 43 | Indiana | $34,747 | $16.71 |
| 44 | Alabama | $34,469 | $16.57 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $33,982 | $16.34 |
| 46 | Texas | $35,038 | $16.85 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $34,223 | $16.45 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $29,110 | $14.00 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $33,074 | $15.90 |
| 50 | Georgia | $31,168 | $14.98 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $31,133 | $14.97 |
Highest paying cities for special officers
The highest-paying cities for special officers are Seattle, WA, Omaha, NE, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $49,704 | $23.90 |
| 2 | Omaha, NE | $47,787 | $22.97 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $46,601 | $22.40 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $46,271 | $22.25 |
| 5 | Brockton, MA | $43,142 | $20.74 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $41,420 | $19.91 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $41,153 | $19.79 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $39,798 | $19.13 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $39,705 | $19.09 |
| 10 | Salt Lake City, UT | $38,961 | $18.73 |
| 11 | Kansas City, MO | $38,821 | $18.66 |
| 12 | McLean, VA | $38,816 | $18.66 |
| 13 | Tulsa, OK | $38,577 | $18.55 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $37,134 | $17.85 |
| 15 | Miami, FL | $36,679 | $17.63 |
| 16 | New Brunswick, NJ | $36,649 | $17.62 |
| 17 | Overland Park, KS | $36,508 | $17.55 |
| 18 | Findlay, OH | $35,945 | $17.28 |
| 19 | Grand Prairie, TX | $34,848 | $16.75 |
| 20 | Chattanooga, TN | $33,677 | $16.19 |
Special officer salary details
A special officer's salary ranges from $28,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $49,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a special officer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
| 75th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| Average | $37,839 | $3,153 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
Highest paying special officer jobs
The highest paying types of special officers are non-commissioned officer, officer, and army national guard.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security Supervisor | $41,818 | $3,485 | $20.10 | 87,236 |
| Security | $31,836 | $2,653 | $15.31 | 150,586 |
| Security Guard | $31,983 | $2,665 | $15.38 | 101,728 |
| Non-Commissioned Officer | $104,839 | $8,737 | $50.40 | 69,414 |
| Protection Security Officer | $35,926 | $2,994 | $17.27 | 122,427 |
| Safety And Security Officer | $35,427 | $2,952 | $17.03 | 133,260 |
Top companies hiring special officers now:
Which companies pay special officers the most?
Special officer salaries at City National Bank and Department of Homeland Security are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average special officer salary at companies like Inter-Con Security Systems and SF-Marin Food Bank are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City National Bank | $53,669 | $25.80 |
| 2 | Department of Homeland Security | $46,833 | $22.52 |
| 3 | Inter-Con Security Systems | $43,830 | $21.07 |
| 4 | SF-Marin Food Bank | $42,545 | $20.45 |
| 5 | CoBank | $41,299 | $19.86 |
| 6 | Bank of America | $40,024 | $19.24 |
| 7 | State Of Florida | $39,660 | $19.07 |
| 8 | ACNB Bank | $38,857 | $18.68 |
| 9 | Farm Credit Mid-America | $38,576 | $18.55 |
| 10 | Capital One | $37,841 | $18.19 |
| 11 | Northwell Health | $37,644 | $18.10 |
| 12 | Rockland Trust | $37,503 | $18.03 |
| 13 | Allied Universal | $37,209 | $17.89 |
| 14 | Xator | $35,709 | $17.17 |
| 15 | Umpqua Bank | $35,684 | $17.16 |
| 16 | All Pro Security, Inc. | $35,632 | $17.13 |
| 17 | Titan Security Group | $35,535 | $17.08 |
| 18 | GardaWorld Federal Services | $35,081 | $16.87 |
| 19 | Securitas Electronic Security | $34,608 | $16.64 |
| 20 | DSI Security | $34,607 | $16.64 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Special Officer salary by industry
The average special officer salary varies across industries:
- The average special officer salary in the government industry is $44,994, the highest of any industry.
- The average special officer salary in the finance industry is $38,168.
- Special officers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $35,017, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for special officers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $44,994 | $21.63 |
| 2 | Finance | $38,168 | $18.35 |
| 3 | Utilities | $35,667 | $17.15 |
| 4 | Professional | $35,017 | $16.84 |
High paying special officer jobs
Special officer salary trends
The average special officer salary has risen by $8,713 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average special officer earned $29,126 annually, but today, they earn $37,839 a year. That works out to a 20% change in pay for special officers over the last decade.
Compare special officer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average special officer salary over time
Compare special officer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Special officer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,800 | $18.19 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | $36,200 | $17.39 | +4.0% |
| 2023 | $34,700 | $16.69 | +5.6% |
| 2022 | $32,800 | $15.76 | +4.2% |
| 2021 | $31,400 | $15.10 | +4.4% |
Recently added special officer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neheadstart | Specialized Populations Officer | Omaha, NE | 06/29/2025 | $59,542 |
| South Dakota Board of Regents | Special Gifts Officer | Madison, SD | 06/28/2025 | $55,339 |
| State of Nebraska | Specialized Populations Officer | Omaha, NE | 06/27/2025 | $59,542 |
| Gardaworld | Special Response Officer-Clinic | Duluth, MN | 06/25/2025 | $45,914 |
| Gardaworld | Security Special Response Officer | Forest Grove, OR | 06/25/2025 | $48,001 |
| Gardaworld | Special Response Officer-Surveillance | Dallas, TX | 06/21/2025 | $41,740 |
| Treston Security Services | CA-Special Event/Talent Escorts Officer | San Diego, CA | 06/20/2025 | $48,001 |
| All Pro Security | Special Functions Officer-Post Certification Required | South Salt Lake, UT | 06/18/2025 | $42,784 |
| Gardaworld | Tactical Security Special Response Officer | Bakersfield, CA | 06/18/2025 | $43,827 |
| Gardaworld | Special Response Officer | Madison, WI | 06/18/2025 | $42,262 |
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