The NFL is the most popular sport in the United States, with dozens of thousands of fans attending each game. It faces incredibly high levels of scrutiny as its games are broadcast live on national television several times throughout the week. Even more media coverage is dedicated to it when the games aren’t even being played. 

Due to all this attention, security is very important to the NFL. With that in mind, what are the various responsibilities of NFL security investigators as well as how much they can expect to get paid?

The NFL as an employer

There isn’t much data available on how many people the NFL employs because jobs are so spread out throughout the league. Each of the 32 teams has a front office, coaching staff, an athletic and training staff, groundskeepers, concessions attendants, ticket office workers, and many other positions. 

The league office itself also has a staff meant to assist with administrative duties on behalf of the Commissioners office along with the many other responsibilities of running the league. 

The NFL has a lot of employees dedicated to assisting with security, both at the individual team level and within the league office. 

The different levels of NFL security

Due to the league’s visibility, security is of utmost importance to the NFL. It’s so important, the federal government provides them with special protection: 

“The NFL has been awarded a Safety Act Designation & Certification from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the highest level of protection granted by the program. If an incident is deemed by DHS to be an “act of terrorism,” the league now can use what is called the “government contractor defense” for all claims that may arise.”

Security, on both game days and in between games, is a multi-faceted component of NFL operations overseen by many individuals. 

The NFL has a variety of security jobs available. Many of these jobs are related to game day management in the 32 NFL stadiums. The responsibility for stadium security personnel includes monitoring locker rooms and the field itself. On-field security specialists are responsible for ensuring no fans run onto the field and attempt to interact with the players during the game. 

Stadiums also have security personnel stationed throughout the crowd. It’s the job of these individuals to monitor activity in the stands to ensure there are no altercations between fans. 

According to TheBalanceCareers.com, NFL security investigators have a number of responsibilities which include: 

• Ensuring the safety of NFL players and coaches
• Traveling with NFL teams
• Providing driving services for players and coaches
• Advising players and coaches
• Investigating potential threats

NFL security runs the gamut from protecting the fans at the stadiums to providing protection for the players and coaches before, during, and after the game. They can also be asked to investigate the players themselves if they’re accused of nefarious activity. 

What NFL security jobs pay 

Per the link referenced above, many NFL security jobs are typically filled by former law enforcement officials: 

“NFL security contractors are very often current or retired criminal justice professionals who have significant experience in the area of security and investigations. They are usually employed as police officers or detectives who perform double duty as security professionals in their off time.”

These individuals are serving in a consultant-type of a role. As far as the pay goes: 

“NFL security agents do not receive a salary or benefits. Instead, they are paid an hourly rate. These rates are set by the individual contractor and are agreed to by the team. Rates for NFL security contractors can be $50 per hour or more, depending on the services provided.”

NFL security staff often use these positions as part-time income to supplement their regular law enforcement jobs. One things for sure, it’s crazy to think about the level of security that goes into a simple football game.