Also called: Army CID Protective Services Battalion, Personal security detail for senior leaders
Army CID agents who protect the Secretary of Defense, top generals, and visiting dignitaries.
Protective services agents plan secure routes, advance venues, drive armored cars, and stand close to top leaders at home and abroad, much like the Secret Service.
RMC (base pay + housing/food allowances + tax advantage) for typical E-1 to E-7 ranks, 2026 estimate, plus the special-duty, hazardous-duty, flight, dive, jump, or language pays this specialty usually earns. Enlistment/reenlistment bonuses for this field can be large.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 6 years after high school. Several years as a military police soldier or CID agent, then protective services training. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Criminal Justice.
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Low risk for 10 years. Threat software helps; advance work and guarding senior leaders stay human.
Classes: PE / fitness, Driver's ed, Psychology.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.