Protective Service Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages High openings flow SOC 33-9032

Security Guards

About 161,000 projected annual openings shape how to read Security Guards against First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers, First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers, Fish and Game Wardens, Firefighters.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Security Guards: First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers ($78K) , First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers ($56K) , Fish and Game Wardens ($74K) , Firefighters ($59K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Security Guards publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 33-9032 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings
  2. 2. Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates
  3. 3. Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics
  4. 4. Answer alarms and investigate disturbances
  5. 5. Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property
  6. 6. Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of pr…
  7. 7. Write reports of daily activities and irregularities, such as equipment or property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons, or u…
  8. 8. Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary
  9. 9. Answer telephone calls to take messages, answer questions, and provide information during non-business hours or when switchboard is closed
  10. 10. Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency, such as fire or presence of unauthorized persons
  11. 11. Operate detecting devices to screen individuals and prevent passage of prohibited articles into restricted areas
  12. 12. Inspect and adjust security systems, equipment, or machinery to ensure operational use and to detect evidence of tampering

Security Guards: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 33-9032 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Public Safety and Security. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.8
  2. 2. Monitoring 3.4
  3. 3. Speaking 3.3
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.1
  5. 5. Coordination 3.1
  6. 6. Reading Comprehension 3.0
  7. 7. Social Perceptiveness 3.0
  8. 8. Judgment and Decision Making 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Public Safety and Security 4.7
  2. 2. Customer and Personal Service 4.5
  3. 3. English Language 4.3
  4. 4. Computers and Electronics 4.1
  5. 5. Administration and Management 4.0
  6. 6. Education and Training 3.8
Projected annual openings
161,000
growth + transfers + exits
National median $38,020/yr
$38K
National median
↑ +0%
Growth 2024-2034
1,283,470
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
Highest-pay peer · $78K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Security Guards

1. Oregon $45,500
2. Virginia $43,640
3. Washington $47,100
4. New Hampshire $45,200
5. Colorado $45,150
6. Vermont $45,550
7. District of Columbia $64,210
8. New York $44,240
9. Massachusetts $44,670
10. Alaska $47,480

Other Protective Service Occupations titles

  1. 1. First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers $77,970
  2. 2. First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers $55,940
  3. 3. Fish and Game Wardens $74,060
  4. 4. Firefighters $59,280
  5. 5. Bailiffs $56,600
  6. 6. Fire Inspectors and Investigators $75,920

Roughly 161,000 projected annual openings (growth, transfers, exits) are the scale signal for Security Guards. Median pay is $38,020 in Protective Service Occupations.

Employment Projections expect +0% change between 2024 and 2034 (slower than average vs baseline 3.1%). BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Oregon at $45,500. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers at $77,970. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Security Guards pay-rank #22 in Protective Service Occupations

On the Protective Service Occupations median table (24 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Security Guards lands at #22, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 33-9032 · national median $38,020 · lower third of Protective Service Occupations (#22/24). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Security Guards salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 33-9032

Oregon · top state for Security Guards

$46K published median

Virginia · #2 state pay

$44K · behind Oregon

First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

Highest-pay peer vs Security Guards · $78K

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

Lower-pay peer beside Security Guards · $56K

Compare Security Guards

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
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Openings and labor-flow next reads

Most Openings Rankings

Labor-flow scale across occupations

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Security Guards land on the Protective Service Occupations median table? ▼
Security Guards is pay-rank #22 of 24 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Crossing Guards and Flaggers ($38K), School Bus Monitors ($35K), Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers ($34K), Protective Service Workers, All Other ($43K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do security guards do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Security Guards. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for security guards? ▼
For SOC 33-9032, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.8), Monitoring (3.4), Speaking (3.3), Critical Thinking (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Security Guards? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $38,020 as the national median for Security Guards. The published 10th-90th range is $30,210 to $58,840. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers ($77,970), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Security Guards? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Security Guards is +0%. Projected annual openings: about 161,000. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: slower than average.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Security Guards? ▼
Oregon ($45,500), Virginia ($43,640), Washington ($47,100) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Security Guards card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 33-9032. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Security Guards. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics