How to hire a campus safety officer

How to hire a campus safety officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step campus safety officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a campus safety officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new campus safety officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a campus safety officer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a campus safety officer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect campus safety officer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of campus safety officer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Campus Safety Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Campus Safety Officer	Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.	$13-21
   Security	A Security's main responsibility is to keep people or an establishment safe. This responsibility is carried out by constantly patrolling a designated area and monitoring the activity within the premises... Show more	$11-20
   Security Agent	Security Agents guard the entrance and exit of a building, watching CCTV footage for unusual activities, and holding trespassers until authorities arrive. Being a security agent is usually a shift-based job and can sometimes last overnight... Show more	$11-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patrol
   • CPR
   • Criminal Justice
   • Medical Emergencies
   • Public Safety
   • Emergency Situations
   • Federal Laws
   • Emergency Calls
   • OSHA
   • Fire Alarms
   • Safety Hazards
   • Emergency Services
   • Foot Patrol
   • Safety Issues

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage litigation and bankruptcy matters.
   • Monitor CCTV for the inside and outside of buildings.
   • Render emergency first aid and CPR, then call paramedics.
   • Issue summonses, write reports of daily activities and irregularities such as unauthorized person or occurrences.
   • Utilize access control software and CCTV technology to monitor and respond to alarms and assist with access control.
   • Discourage and eject loiterers and disorderly persons and when appropriate, arrest and issue summonses to law violators on premises.

   More campus safety officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your campus safety officer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A campus safety officer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, campus safety officers' average salary in virginia is 49% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level campus safety officers 38% less than senior-level campus safety officers.
   • Certifications. A campus safety officer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a campus safety officer's salary.

   Average campus safety officer salary

   $35,875yearly

   $17.25 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level campus safety officer salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average campus safety officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$52,565	$25
   2	Illinois	$48,567	$23
   3	Connecticut	$48,317	$23
   4	Colorado	$41,784	$20
   5	New York	$41,523	$20
   6	Pennsylvania	$40,679	$20
   7	Massachusetts	$40,237	$19
   8	New Jersey	$39,766	$19
   9	Indiana	$38,475	$19
   10	California	$38,474	$19
   11	Maryland	$38,071	$18
   12	Texas	$37,527	$18
   13	Michigan	$35,543	$17
   14	Florida	$33,151	$16
   15	Wyoming	$31,891	$15
   16	Wisconsin	$30,448	$15
   17	Georgia	$29,732	$14
   18	Kentucky	$29,128	$14
   19	Kansas	$28,013	$13

   Average campus safety officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of California-Berkeley	$47,422	$22.80
   2	UC Santa Barbara	$44,908	$21.59
   3	Converse University	$43,447	$20.89	1
   4	Kenyon College	$43,428	$20.88	4
   5	Hartwick College	$43,044	$20.69
   6	Occidental College	$42,979	$20.66	1
   7	Misericordia University	$42,928	$20.64
   8	Ohlone College	$42,020	$20.20
   9	Santa Clara University	$41,203	$19.81
   10	Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute	$40,648	$19.54
   11	University of Puget Sound	$40,546	$19.49
   12	Denver Public Schools	$40,541	$19.49	2
   13	EastHartford Schools	$40,121	$19.29
   14	University of Saint Mary	$39,570	$19.02	2
   15	Georgetown College	$39,489	$18.99
   16	Georgian Court University	$38,776	$18.64
   17	Gustavus Adolphus College	$38,679	$18.60	1
   18	Bethel University	$38,333	$18.43	2
   19	Paul Smith's College	$38,122	$18.33	2
   20	Skidmore College	$37,909	$18.23	1

4. Writing a campus safety officer job description

   A campus safety officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a campus safety officer job description:

   Campus safety officer job description example

   Niagara University is a liberal arts university, steeped in the Vincentian and Catholic traditions, with a total enrollment of nearly 4,300 students. Located just a few miles away from one of the world's premier tourism destinations, Niagara Falls, the university occupies a lovely campus overlooking the Niagara River gorge. Its close proximity to major cultural and business centers in Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and Toronto as well as the award-winning Niagara Wine Trail and several nearby cultural destinations make Niagara University an ideal place to work and live. If you'd like to know more, be sure to check out all of the NU Facts.
   :
   Under specific supervision, patrols the campus environs.
   
   ESSENTIAL DUTIES :
   Patrol campus environs by foot and/or vehicle to observe and report suspicious activity and/or criminal activity; Respond to emergencies, take appropriate action, and document all incidents; Issue tickets for parking and moving violations; Work flexible hours and shifts to include, but not limited to, special events, details, residence halls, and other assignments as needed; Considered an Essential Trained Responder, trained to use special equipment to respond to an emergency or hazardous situation. Make payroll runs and general courier service; Provide friendly, courteous, respectful service to the Niagara University community; Attend various training seminars and is responsible for retention of information; Maintain confidentiality of information (including but not limited to: student and employee personal information, student grades, etc.), both during and after their employment with the University. Any question regarding the confidentiality of material should be referred to the supervisor. Any violation shall subject the employee to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Perform other duties as assigned.
   
   REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
   Ability to read and comprehend various forms, documentation, files, and information in the department. Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication, problem-solving, and intervention skills. Proficiency to handle various office machines including but not limited to: keyboard, calculator, computer, copier and fax machine. Ability to receive telephone and radio calls, respond to inquiries, and communicate with others. Ability to work flexible shifts, evenings, and weekends. Ability to be reliable, dependable, flexible. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs and applications. Ability to perform all of the above essential job functions for a minimum of an eight-hour shift without significant risk of serious injury. Ability to drive a personal or university vehicle for the purpose of university business on a regular basis. Ability to perform responsibilities of other Campus Safety positions as needed.
   
   QUALIFICATION STANDARDS:
   High School diploma required, or any combination of education equivalent to graduation from high school or other combination of education, training, and experience that provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities. Associate (AAS) Degree in Criminal Justice or related field preferred. A minimum of 1-year related experience is required. A valid New York State driver's license is required that satisfies both University and insurance company underwriting rules and regulations for driving a motor vehicle. Must also be able to operate a motor vehicle in Canada. Current New York State Security Guard Registration or ability to obtain registration within a reasonable amount of time is required. First Aid and CPR certification, or the ability to obtain certification in a reasonable amount of time is required.. Emergency Medical Technician certification preferred.
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find campus safety officers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your campus safety officer job on Zippia to find and recruit campus safety officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting campus safety officers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new campus safety officer

   Once you've found the campus safety officer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new campus safety officer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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