Security Guards
With 185,510 professionals, Security Guards is a significant occupation in the U.S. workforce. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Security Guards workforce.
Employment Over Time
185,510 Workforce in 2023
The Security Guards workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Security Guards.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$47,277 Average Wage
In 2023, Security Guards earned an average of $47,277.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Security Guards.
Salary distribution for Security Guards.
Employment Growth Projections
1.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
802,202 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 9.2%
876,239 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 19.3%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.8% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Security Guards.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Security Guards and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Security Guards employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Security Guards.
Wage Trends by Industry
16.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Security Guards.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Security Guards.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 176,550 employees, $47,173 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Security Guards.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 62,840 employees, $46,593 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 21,090 employees, $43,595 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 15,070 employees, $46,307 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 13,770 employees, $53,838 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 13,370 employees, $45,549 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 10,920 employees, $45,148 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 10,840 employees, $52,247 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 10,150 employees, $53,057 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 3,470 employees, $40,736 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 2,900 employees, $43,945 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Security Guards.
Diversity
Demographic information on Security Guards in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Security Guards in 2023 was 185,510 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Security Guards.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Security Guards.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Security Guards.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Security Guards in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Security Guards.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Security Guards workers.
Education level distribution for Security Guards.
Skills
Security Guards need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking, Coordination, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Security Guards.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Security Guards.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Security Guards include Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Security Guards.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Security Guards include Problem Sensitivity, Far Vision, Oral Comprehension, Near Vision, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Security Guards.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Security Guards.
Daily Activities
Security Guards spend their time on activities such as Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Documenting/Recording Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.
Most important work activities for Security Guards.
About
Security Guards
The average yearly wage for Security Guards was $47,277 in 2023.
SOC Code
33-9032 - Security Guards
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Security Guards reports an average salary of $47,277.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 185,510 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.8%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.