Also called: Security Guard, Patrol Officer (Private)
Protects property and people by patrolling, monitoring cameras, and controlling access.
Security officers check IDs at office lobbies, patrol warehouses at night, watch camera feeds, and write incident reports. Many work at hospitals, malls, schools, and construction sites. It's a common entry into law enforcement.
Armed and specialized posts pay more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school diploma; state guard license; firearms training for armed roles.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Criminal Justice.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). BLS security guards (approx.).
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Remote video monitoring and patrol robots are replacing many night and watch posts; front-desk and hospital guards stay.
Age 18+. One way to start: Take your state’s guard card training (Power to Arrest in California) and apply to Allied, Securitas or local firms First: State security guard license with training and a background check
Classes: Psychology, Health / first aid, Spanish.
Official data: O*NET occupation 33-9032.
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.