Armed guard vs unarmed security officer

The differences between armed guards and unarmed 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 $31,496 average annual salary of an unarmed security officer.

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

Armed guard vs unarmed security officer overview

	Armed Guard	Unarmed Security Officer
Yearly salary	$43,189	$31,496
Hourly rate	$20.76	$15.14
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	74,257	121,723
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Armed guard vs unarmed security officer salary

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

	Armed Guard	Unarmed Security Officer
Average salary	$43,189	$31,496
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $59,000	Between $24,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	Eagan, MN
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Inter-Con Security Systems	Inter-Con Security Systems
Best paying industry	Non Profits	Utilities

Differences between armed guard and unarmed security officer education

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

	Armed Guard	Unarmed Security Officer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Armed guard vs unarmed security officer demographics

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

	Armed Guard	Unarmed Security Officer
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 84.5% Female, 15.5%	Male, 65.0% Female, 35.0%
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, 16.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 5.8% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between armed guard and unarmed 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.

Unarmed security officer example responsibilities.

Maintain a fully stock first aid, CPR and a pack.
Check ids and contract of all rental cars going out of budget rental car.
protect client and client assets, observe and report, CPR train, first aid train ,
Patrol hospital and grounds to ensure a safe and secure environment for associates, patients and their families and visitors.
Maintain alertness during duty period.
Experience dealing effectively with de- escalating aggressive behavior in patients.

Armed guard vs unarmed 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 unarmed security officer skills

Patrol, 17%
Customer Service, 15%
Unarmed Security, 9%
Emergency Situations, 6%
Law Enforcement, 5%
CPR, 5%

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Protective Service Industry
Armed Guard
Armed Guard vs Unarmed Security Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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