First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers vs Private Detectives and Investigators: $56K vs $51K Median Pay

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers vs Private Detectives and Investigators: what changes?

Consider First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers if you want to directly supervise and coordinate activities of security workers and security guards. Consider Private Detectives and Investigators if you would rather gather, analyze, compile, and report information regarding individuals or organizations to clients, or detect occurrences of unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private establishment. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers (less than 5 years) and Private Detectives and Investigators (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers and Private Detectives and Investigators. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

National median pay (2025): $55,940
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Investigate disturbances on the premises, such as security alarms, altercations, and suspicious activity.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 6,800

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers brief

Private Detectives and Investigators

National median pay (2025): $51,220
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Write reports or case summaries to document investigations.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 3,200

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Private Detectives and Investigators brief

How the national numbers differ

Typical preparation differs.

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years Private Detectives and Investigators: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers has the edge on annual openings

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers is at 6,800 annual openings, compared with 3,200 annual openings for Private Detectives and Investigators.

Private Detectives and Investigators has the edge on projected growth

Private Detectives and Investigators is at 5.5% projected growth, compared with 3.7% projected growth for First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers.

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers has the edge on median pay

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers is at $55,940, compared with $51,220 for Private Detectives and Investigators.

56.5/ 100

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

49.2/ 100

Private Detectives and Investigators

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers vs Private Detectives and Investigators

Dimension	First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers	Private Detectives and Investigators
Median pay (2025)	$55,940	$51,220
Pay percentile	40.9 percentile	35.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	3.7%	5.5%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	6,800	3,200
2025 employment	82,700	39,500
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years	High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers brief Read Private Detectives and Investigators brief

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers vs Private Detectives and Investigators: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

Private Detectives and Investigators

How the national numbers differ

Typical preparation differs.

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers has the edge on annual openings

Private Detectives and Investigators has the edge on projected growth

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers has the edge on median pay

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers vs Private Detectives and Investigators

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