Career
Security guards
Protect people and property.
$38,020
Median pay
+0.9%
Job growth, 2025–35
156,000
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.
- Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates.
- Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics.
- Answer alarms and investigate disturbances.
- Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking, Critical Thinking.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though short-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $38,020 a year and 156,000 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Criminal JusticeSee the degree →
- Security and Loss Prevention ServicesCIP 43.0109
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers$55,940 · +3.7%
- Transit and Railroad Police$90,230 · +3.2%
- Transportation Security Screeners$66,770 · -4.2%
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,210 · +3.5%
- Parking Enforcement Workers$46,730 · -1.1%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.