Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting and related protective services, other earn a median $63,162 four years after finishing, across 15 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in criminal justice and fire protection earn $56,702, $5,347 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is police officers (14%).
Median across 15 colleges; middle half $58,382–$71,296.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $39,102–$80,438. 12,383 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Criminal Justice And Fire Protection"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$21,064/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting and related protective services, other graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in criminal justice and fire protection actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police Officers | 14% | $76,250 | +3.5% | — | — |
| Security Guards And Gambling Surveillance Officers | 3% | $38,050 | +0.9% | — | — |
| Correctional Officers And Jailers | 2% | $58,940 | -7.4% | High school diploma or equivalent | RCS |
| Other Managers | 2% | — | — | — | — |
| Probation Officers And Correctional Treatment Specialists | 2% | $66,270 | +3.0% | Bachelor's degree | SCE |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Retail Sales Workers | 2% | $48,520 | -3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent | ECS |
| Paralegals And Legal Assistants | 2% | $62,890 | -0.3% | Associate's degree | CIE |
These 8 jobs account for 30% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | — | $52,473 (131) |
| Arizona | — | $60,915 (247) |
| California | — | $60,915 (1,102) |
| Colorado | — | $61,101 (223) |
| Connecticut | — | $68,015 (192) |
| Florida | $56,162 (5) | $51,391 (730) |
| Georgia | — | $47,226 (345) |
| Illinois | — | $62,946 (506) |
| Indiana | — | $52,473 (245) |
| Kentucky | — | $43,656 (188) |
| Louisiana | — | $50,274 (128) |
| Maryland | — | $67,032 (278) |
| Massachusetts | — | $65,991 (449) |
| Michigan | — | $55,860 (404) |
| Minnesota | — | $62,049 (221) |
| Missouri | — | $56,977 (214) |
| Nevada | — | $50,274 (126) |
| New Jersey | — | $63,680 (640) |
| New York | — | $59,662 (975) |
| North Carolina | — | $52,503 (465) |
| Ohio | — | $57,276 (391) |
| Oklahoma | — | $47,730 (111) |
| Pennsylvania | — | $61,101 (633) |
| South Carolina | — | $50,375 (191) |
| Tennessee | — | $52,473 (230) |
| Texas | — | $55,860 (1,007) |
| Virginia | — | $65,628 (470) |
| Washington | — | $65,628 (230) |
| Wisconsin | — | $58,657 (175) |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting and related protective services, other graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 7 in Florida, 1 in Virginia, 0 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVA | $72,239 | $21,500 |
| 2 | St Petersburg CollegeFL | $63,162 | $37,970 |
| 3 | Miami Dade CollegeFL | $60,067 | $12,000 |
| 4 | Florida Atlantic UniversityFL | $56,162 | $20,221 |
| 5 | Florida SouthWestern State CollegeFL | $55,414 | — |
| 6 | Florida State College at JacksonvilleFL | $55,284 | $23,222 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other degree questions
How much do Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other graduates make?
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other graduates earn a median $63,162 four years after finishing, across 15 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $58,382 to $71,296; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in criminal justice and fire protection, the median is $56,702 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in criminal justice and fire protection earn a median $56,702: $5,347 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $21,064 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in criminal justice and fire protection, the most common jobs are police officers (14%), security guards and gambling surveillance officers (3%), correctional officers and jailers (2%). Police Officers earn a U.S. median $76,250.
How much do Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other graduates earn in Florida?
Across 5 Florida colleges reporting, Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other graduates earn a median $56,162 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $51,391.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/homeland-security-law-enforcement-firefighting-and-related-protective-services-other.