Armed guard vs non-commissioned officer

The differences between armed guards and non-commissioned officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a non-commissioned officer has an average salary of $104,839, which is higher than the $43,189 average annual salary of an armed guard.

The top three skills for an armed guard include patrol, medical emergencies and national security. The most important skills for a non-commissioned officer are combat, logistical support, and NCO.

Armed guard vs non-commissioned officer overview

	Armed Guard	Non-Commissioned Officer
Yearly salary	$43,189	$104,839
Hourly rate	$20.76	$50.40
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	74,257	69,414
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Armed guard vs non-commissioned officer salary

Armed guards and non-commissioned officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Armed Guard	Non-Commissioned Officer
Average salary	$43,189	$104,839
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $59,000	Between $77,000 And $142,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Inter-Con Security Systems	UBS
Best paying industry	Non Profits	Finance

Differences between armed guard and non-commissioned officer education

There are a few differences between an armed guard and a non-commissioned officer in terms of educational background:

	Armed Guard	Non-Commissioned Officer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	-	-

Armed guard vs non-commissioned officer demographics

Here are the differences between armed guards' and non-commissioned officers' demographics:

	Armed Guard	Non-Commissioned Officer
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 84.5% Female, 15.5%	Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 6.1% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 5.6% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between armed guard and non-commissioned officer duties and responsibilities

Armed guard example responsibilities.

Check for safety violations such as proper PPE and H2S monitors.
Certify cpr and a first aid, enforce rest area rules, conduct incident reports and crime.
Allow customers and deliveries in and out of Menards' yard.
Receive, inventory, and issuing of ammunition to bases and unit throughout the country.
Provide foot patrols, and CCTV monitoring of medical facilities, as well as lock up and access control.
Verify that everyone has the required PPE, such as hard hat, safety glasses, and steel toe boots.

Non-commissioned officer example responsibilities.

Ensure assigned equipment are maintained and serviceable for accomplish all combat evacuation during OIF.
Provide leadership and knowledge of federal shipping and logistics regulations by managing adherence to all policies and procedures from higher headquarters.
Provide hazardous materials (HAZMAT) response capability for unknown or suspect CBRN incidents.
Ensure compliance with local state and federal EPA guidelines for hazardous materials (HAZMAT) handling and waste disposal.
Access control and CCTV monitoring.
Monitor CCTV system for any suspicious activities backing up the mobile unit.

Armed guard vs non-commissioned officer skills

Common armed guard skills

Patrol, 22%
Medical Emergencies, 11%
National Security, 8%
Emergency Situations, 7%
Law Enforcement, 7%
Traffic Control, 7%

Common non-commissioned officer skills

Combat, 14%
Logistical Support, 12%
NCO, 12%
Professional Development, 5%
Platoon, 4%
Training Programs, 3%

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Protective Service Industry
Armed Guard
Armed Guard vs Non-Commissioned Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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