Flies undercover on commercial flights as an armed federal officer to detect and stop threats to passengers and aircraft. BLS does not publish separate figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers; it counts them within police officer (SOC 33-3051), whose median pay is $76,210 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 33-3051
- Protective Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Federal Air Marshal in four numbers
- Median pay
- $76,210a year, or $36.64/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $115K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.5%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 51,500693,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025693.2K
- Projected 2035717.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 693.2K Projected 2035 717.3K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Air Marshal, Sky Marshal, FAM, Federal Air Marshal Service Agent.
Pay
How much do Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers make?
Every federal air marshal in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$76,210
Middle half earn $59,290 to $97,600
- 10th
- $47,510
- 25th
- $59,290
- 75th
- $97,600
- 90th
- $115,120
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,510 |
| 25th | $59,290 |
| Median | $76,210 |
| 75th | $97,600 |
| 90th | $115,120 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $76,210
- Median hourly wage
- $36.64/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $79,200
- People employed
- 670,520
Versus all US occupations
At $76,210, Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers earn 49% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $25,230 a year.
Versus protective service occupations
Inside the Protective Service group, where the middle occupation pays $74,060, this is 3% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $115,120 or more while the bottom 10% earn $47,510, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 51% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
California pays the most at $118,880, and still leads at $107,370 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $118,880 | $107,370 | 65,940 |
| 2Washington | $102,080 | $95,390 | 9,160 |
| 3Illinois | $100,520 | $100,562 | 29,180 |
| 4Alaska | $99,130 | $96,845 | 1,260 |
| 5Colorado | $97,350 | $94,467 | 9,610 |
| 6Delaware | $92,970 | $93,149 | 1,800 |
| 7New York | $92,790 | $85,980 | 53,470 |
| 8New Jersey | $92,610 | $85,116 | 21,780 |
| 9District of Columbia | $88,650 | $80,664 | 4,720 |
| 10Oregon | $88,140 | $85,274 | 5,030 |
Job outlook
Is Federal Air Marshal a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | +3.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers to change 3.5% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 24,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 51,500 openings are projected each year, 7.4% of the 693,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Federal Air Marshal
Applicants must be U.S. citizens within the age limits, with a bachelor's degree, qualifying work experience or a combination. Previous law enforcement experience is not required. The process includes an assessment, panel interview, physical training assessment, medical exam, polygraph and background investigation for a security clearance.
Training begins at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers in Artesia, New Mexico, and continues at the Federal Air Marshal training center, with a strong focus on firearms qualification standards. Marshals are assigned to field offices near major airports.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Federal Air Marshal do?
Federal air marshals work for the Transportation Security Administration's Federal Air Marshal Service. They fly in plain clothes on domestic and international flights, blending in with passengers while watching for suspicious behavior and staying ready to respond to a hijacking, attack or violent passenger.
On the ground, marshals support airport and transit security, take part in visible teams at airports, rail and bus stations, and work with FBI joint terrorism task forces. Because an aircraft cabin is a tight space full of bystanders, training emphasizes close-quarters tactics, precision marksmanship and quick decision-making.
Day-to-day tasks
- Fly undercover on assigned commercial flights
- Observe passengers for suspicious behavior
- Respond to threats, assaults and attempted hijackings
- Coordinate discreetly with flight crews
- Support security teams at airports and transit hubs
- Maintain firearms and tactical qualifications
- Write reports on incidents and observations
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Marshals spend much of their time in airplane cabins, airports and hotels. Schedules are irregular, with long duty days, frequent time zone changes and overnight trips. Long stretches of quiet observation must be balanced with readiness to act instantly, and marshals must meet strict firearms standards.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Learning3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Monitoring3.3
- Writing3.1
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Coordination3.6
- Service Orientation3.6
- Persuasion3.5
- Negotiation3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Time Management3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.6 |
| Service Orientation | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.5 |
| Negotiation | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Geographic information system
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Helpdesk or call center software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Federal Air Marshal?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RCE) built on O*NET's Police Officer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Federal Air Marshal |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic5.5
- Conventional4.7
- Enterprising4.3
- Social3.5
- Investigative2.8
- Artistic1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Federal Air Marshal
O*NET related occupations
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives
$106,040median a year
Most earn $63K to $165K
+3.3%High school - Protective Service
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
More protective service careers
Median annual pay, with police and sheriff's patrol officers highlighted
- Detective and Criminal Investigator$93,790
- Intelligence Analyst$93,790
- Police Officer$76,210
- Custom and Border Protection Officer$76,210
- Federal Air Marshal$76,210
- Firefighter$59,280
- Correctional Officer and Jailer$58,940
- Private Detective and Investigator$51,220
- Security Guard$38,020
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $93,790 |
| Intelligence Analyst | $93,790 |
| Police Officer | $76,210 |
| Custom and Border Protection Officer | $76,210 |
| Federal Air Marshal | $76,210 |
| Firefighter | $59,280 |
| Correctional Officer and Jailer | $58,940 |
| Private Detective and Investigator | $51,220 |
| Security Guard | $38,020 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Federal Air Marshal appears on
Questions
Federal Air Marshal: frequently asked questions
How much do Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for police and sheriff's patrol officers. It counts them within police officer, whose median pay is $76,210 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $59,290 and $97,600, and the top 10% earn $115,120 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Federal Air Marshal?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Federal Air Marshal a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.5% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 51,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Federal Air Marshal do?
Federal air marshals work for the Transportation Security Administration's Federal Air Marshal Service. A typical task: fly undercover on assigned commercial flights. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers the most?
The highest state medians for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers are California ($118,880), Washington ($102,080), Illinois ($100,520) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Federal Air Marshal?
O*NET scores Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.