So, you saw some guys in black suits and mirror sunglasses with an earpiece standing with another guy who looks important and you think to yourself, “What a cool job! Maybe I should get into that!” A few Google searches later and the only thing that is clear is that Executive Protection training is pricey and you can’t seem to find a security company that will train new guys. Or maybe you’re thinking that you’ve got to have some sort of special operations military background and/or law enforcement background. I hear it all the time. Ironically, I hear it more from people without any experience in Executive Protection. That being said, lets put things into perspective.

If you want to be on a high-risk detail in Baghdad for a high-profile Ambassador, yes, you should expect to have a prior military background with combat deployments. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. Every Executive Protection detail has it’s own profile and requirements. There is no “one size fits all” service for executives. Beyond having training certifications in Executive Protection, you’re still going to have to get through a client interview. Even if the company likes you, that doesn’t mean the client will. So be personable and professional. But ultimately, military and law enforcement backgrounds are surely not required to break into Executive Protection work. That sort of background may help in some cases, though.

Yes! But first, we still have a problem. Executive Protection training is expensive and it takes time, right? And we haven’t even gone into defensive tactics training, CPR/First AID, firearms, and driving. So, is it worth it? Well that depends on your motivation. If this is another one of your brilliant ideas that you never follow through on, I’d say you should find a better use of your time and figure out what you want to do with your life. Let’s break it down relative to other careers and education costs.

According to the Census Bureau, it costs about $9,400 a year to go to a public four-year college. And if you’re taking out loans, you can expect those numbers to end up inflating to substantially more. If you’re like me, you value your time. When I was in college, I would often calculate how much money I’m losing by not being able to work full-time using average incomes of other jobs I had. But officially, we’re talking about a $40,000 investment to obtain a bachelor’s degree.

And here’s a chart showing the average income of a full-time worker over the age of 25 for the various levels of education in 2008 according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Now you’ve spent four years and $40k on a degree and a couple years go by and you’re making $55k a year. Seems like a pretty comfortable income for most places in the U.S. Let’s compare that to what Executive Protection specialists make. To be clear, the U.S. Census Bureau doesn’t have data specifically on Executive Protection so we’re relying on professional organizations who’ve collected data, which can vary. But here’s a good idea of what to expect.

According to Indeed, the average Executive Protection Specialist in New York made $87,754 in the past 12 months. According to CareerBliss, average incomes for Executive Protection jobs seemed to float around $50k per year, the highest job post being $111k per year. In an article using data from Simply Hired, it lays out data from 2013 that shows that salaries for this work varied the most in southern regions of the U.S. at a $46k per year average, to the highest paid region on average being in the Washington D.C. area at about $93k per year. Here is an article on Forbes discussing various corporate executives and what their companies spend on security.

Here are some Executive Protection training programs that are likely recognized throughout the industry.

• EPI – Providing Executive Protection Program / 7 days / $3,999
• LaSorsa and Associates – Executive Protection Agent Training Course / 3 days / $995
  • Or 7-day Executive Protection, Protective Medical Response, and Defensive/Evasive Driving for $2,995 (includes hotels, meals, transportation, and materials)
• Select International – Protective Detail Specialist / 5 days / $1,100
• Vehicle Dynamics Institute – Protective Driving / 3 days / $1,975

Some states in the U.S. may have regulatory agencies that require certification. In Virginia, you must take a 60-hour Dept. of Criminal Justice Services training course for Personal Protection Specialists. And if you want to be armed, you must take an additional 14-hour handgun course and a 24-hour Advanced Handgun course to work as an Armed Personal Protection Specialist. The cost ranges from $600 to $1,000 on average. Some states have no requirement in their laws regarding bodyguards.

You now have an idea of some of the associated costs for certifications and developing a fundamental skill set in Executive Protection. These are the same fundamentals needed for just about any Executive Protection job. Many of these training schools also offer training in surveillance/counter-surveillance, medical, management and consulting, and other specialty areas valued by protection professionals.

Comparing Executive Protection training to a college education is not intended to imply that anyone should choose one over the other. If you’re going to college or already have a degree, great! But this is simply to disprove any claim that training in this field is too expensive relative to salary outcomes. It’s actually a pretty great deal considering time spent learning and considering that you’ll likely remember more from a 3 to 5 days Executive Protection training course than you will remember from 4 years of sleeping though college classes. At least I get a tax write-off for my training fees for the mountain of certifications I have.