Armed guard vs security officer

The differences between armed guards and security officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an armed guard has an average salary of $43,189, which is higher than the $31,101 average annual salary of a security officer.

The top three skills for an armed guard include patrol, medical emergencies and national security. The most important skills for a security officer are customer service, ladders, and patrol.

Armed guard vs security officer overview

	Armed Guard	Security Officer
Yearly salary	$43,189	$31,101
Hourly rate	$20.76	$14.95
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	74,257	125,879
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Armed guard vs security officer salary

Armed guards and security officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Armed Guard	Security Officer
Average salary	$43,189	$31,101
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $59,000	Between $24,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Washington
Best paying company	Inter-Con Security Systems	Battelle
Best paying industry	Non Profits	Utilities

Differences between armed guard and security officer education

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

	Armed Guard	Security Officer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Armed guard vs security officer demographics

Here are the differences between armed guards' and security officers' demographics:

	Armed Guard	Security Officer
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 84.5% Female, 15.5%	Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4%
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, 12.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between armed guard and security 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.

Security officer example responsibilities.

General foot patrol of interior and exterior strip corridor casino property areas.
Distribute id photo badges to employees and contractors.
Escort performers or highly known stars to their suites.
Employ as an unarm Virginia DCJS license security officer.
Inspect all vehicles that are requesting access into AOA.
Make DAR reports with clear reading and writing in English.

Armed guard vs security officer skills

Common armed guard skills

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

Common security officer skills

Customer Service, 25%
Ladders, 17%
Patrol, 14%
Security Services, 6%
Patients, 5%
Emergency Situations, 4%