Security and public safety jobs: postings, pay, and occupations
How many US job postings are in security and public safety, what they advertise in pay, and the occupations and industries behind them.
- US job postings
- 43,455
- 1.3% of US postings placed in a field
- Median advertised pay
- Held back
- From 19,503 postings with pay
- Share that list pay
- 44.9%
- 19,503 of 43,455 postings
- Fully remote
- 0.7%
- 291 remote postings open to US workers
Figures as of .
Security and public safety has 43,455 live US job postings as of November 5, 2026, 1.3% of the US postings we could place in a field. That ranks 19th of 24 fields.
Its largest occupation is security officer, with 78.7% of its postings. The industry with the most of its postings is facilities and business support, with 37.9%.
Occupations in security and public safety
Each occupation's share of the US postings in security and public safety, as of November 5, 2026. A posting placed only in a field has no occupation, so the shares can add up to less than the whole field.
| Occupation | Postings | Share of field | Lists pay | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security officer | 34,188 | 78.7% | 49.4% | Held back |
| Police officer and detective | 2,191 | 5.0% | 35.6% | $72,928 |
| Lifeguard and recreational safety | 2,039 | 4.7% | 21.0% | $36,608 |
| Private investigator | 1,851 | 4.3% | 29.8% | $66,560 |
| Emergency dispatcher | 1,284 | 3.0% | 16.2% | $53,374 |
| Correctional officer | 1,005 | 2.3% | 40.3% | $53,206 |
| Firefighter | 897 | 2.1% | 25.2% | $55,853 |
Specialties in security and public safety
The 11 specialties with the most US postings in security and public safety, among those with at least 50, each as a share of its occupation's US postings, as of November 5, 2026. Many postings name no specialty.
| Specialty | Occupation | Postings | Share of occupation | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unarmed and patrol | Security officer | 8,235 | 24.1% | Held back |
| Loss prevention | Security officer | 7,919 | 23.2% | $40,560 |
| Access control and concierge | Security officer | 3,511 | 10.3% | Held back |
| Armed | Security officer | 2,268 | 6.6% | Held back |
| Patrol | Police officer and detective | 805 | 36.7% | $72,928 |
| Insurance surveillance | Private investigator | 569 | 30.7% | $70,000 |
| Transportation screening (TSA) | Security officer | 425 | 1.2% | Held back |
| Event security | Security officer | 415 | 1.2% | $41,184 |
| Background investigations | Private investigator | 180 | 9.7% | $54,226 |
| Campus and public safety | Police officer and detective | 140 | 6.4% | Fewer than 50 postings with pay |
| Investigations | Police officer and detective | 84 | 3.8% | Fewer than 50 postings with pay |
Industries hiring for security and public safety
The industries with the most US security and public safety postings, each as a share of the field's US postings, as of November 5, 2026. Each posting counts in its employer's industry.
| Industry | Postings | Share of field | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facilities and business support | 16,474 | 37.9% | Held back |
| Retail and consumer brands | 8,204 | 18.9% | $40,955 |
| Hospitality, food service and leisure | 3,171 | 7.3% | $39,520 |
| Government and public administration | 3,043 | 7.0% | $61,729 |
| Healthcare | 2,669 | 6.1% | $50,000 |
| Education | 2,597 | 6.0% | $41,704 |
| Social services and nonprofits | 1,693 | 3.9% | $40,352 |
| Professional services | 1,485 | 3.4% | $60,320 |
| Aerospace and defense | 887 | 2.0% | $86,000 |
| Media and entertainment | 516 | 1.2% | Held back |
| Transportation and logistics | 337 | 0.8% | $48,365 |
| Construction | 330 | 0.8% | Fewer than 50 postings with pay |
Questions
- How many US job postings are in security and public safety?
- 43,455 live US job postings as of November 5, 2026, 1.3% of the US postings we could place in a field.
- What do security and public safety job postings pay?
- We do not publish a median for security and public safety yet. 19,503 of its 43,455 US postings list pay.
- Which security and public safety occupations have the most job postings?
- The occupations with the most security and public safety postings are security officer (78.7%), police officer and detective (5.0%), and lifeguard and recreational safety (4.7%), each as a share of its US postings.