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The differences between access control officers and security guards can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a security guard has an average salary of $31,983, which is higher than the $31,174 average annual salary of an access control officer.
The top three skills for an access control officer include customer service, patrol and CPR. The most important skills for a security guard are customer service, patrol, and ladders.
| Access Control Officer | Security Guard | |
| Yearly salary | $31,174 | $31,983 |
| Hourly rate | $14.99 | $15.38 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 142,427 | 101,728 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Safety is a crucial issue for many businesses today. Many are spending thousands of dollars to ensure the safety of their properties. An access control officer is a person who provides the security of premises through the use of a combined approach of surveillance and detection. The access control officer needs to detect, deter, observe, and report suspicious characters near the property's perimeter, which may cause crime. The officer must be capable of detecting and preventing people with criminal intentions.
Security guards are responsible for maintaining and ensuring the peace and safety of the building they are assigned to. They ensure that everyone who enters the building has official business to be done in the building. They are also in charge of patrolling and monitoring activities within the area. Security guards are also tasked to immobilize anyone who seems to pose a threat to the peace and safety of the building. They are also responsible for preventing any untoward incidences or crimes that may happen in the area. Security guards must be observant and alert to be able to succeed in their roles.
Access control officers and security guards have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Access Control Officer | Security Guard | |
| Average salary | $31,174 | $31,983 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $41,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Lakewood, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Basin Electric Power Cooperative |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Utilities |
There are a few differences between an access control officer and a security guard in terms of educational background:
| Access Control Officer | Security Guard | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between access control officers' and security guards' demographics:
| Access Control Officer | Security Guard | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 16.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 6.2% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |