Commissioned officer vs security guard

The differences between commissioned officers and security guards can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a commissioned officer has an average salary of $35,254, which is higher than the $31,983 average annual salary of a security guard.

The top three skills for a commissioned officer include logistical support, combat and law enforcement. The most important skills for a security guard are customer service, patrol, and ladders.

Commissioned officer vs security guard overview

	Commissioned Officer	Security Guard
Yearly salary	$35,254	$31,983
Hourly rate	$16.95	$15.38
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	69,166	101,728
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Commissioned officer vs security guard salary

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

	Commissioned Officer	Security Guard
Average salary	$35,254	$31,983
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $59,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Lakewood, WA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Best paying industry	-	Utilities

Differences between commissioned officer and security guard education

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

	Commissioned Officer	Security Guard
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Commissioned officer vs security guard demographics

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

	Commissioned Officer	Security Guard
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3%	Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 54.2% 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%

Differences between commissioned officer and security guard duties and responsibilities

Commissioned officer example responsibilities.

Lead and motivate soldiers to successfully accomplish missions worldwide during peacetime and combat operations.
Supervise sailors in responsible tasks relate to managing inventory, facilitating laundry operations, and maintaining secure watch detail.
Handle confidential information from individuals, officers, fire & medical staff, NCIC, and Montana's CJIN system.
Command combat support aircrew during numerous contingencies worldwide.
Counsele and inform sailors of educational, and veterans benefits prior to military discharge.
Demonstrate excellent communication and leadership skills while instructing and training new airmen on fundamental job tasks.

Security guard example responsibilities.

Assist employees with any and all concerns regarding payroll issues, insurance and requesting time off.
Certify in fire safety, adult/child CPR with mask and choking, adult/child a, infant CPR w/ mask and choking.
Distribute payroll checks to security officers.
Administer CPR and transport injured personnel to local medical facilities.
Monitor CCTV and other various intrusion detection security equipment for security issues.
Provide relief to other security officers while maintaining punctuality and building moral support.

Commissioned officer vs security guard skills

Common commissioned officer skills

Logistical Support, 16%
Combat, 10%
Law Enforcement, 10%
Emergency Situations, 10%
Platoon, 9%
Incident Reports, 7%

Common security guard skills

Customer Service, 25%
Patrol, 17%
Ladders, 16%
Security Services, 6%
Emergency Situations, 4%
CPR, 3%

Commissioned Officer vs. similar jobs

Commissioned Officer related careers

Commissioned Officer related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Protective Service Industry
Commissioned Officer
Commissioned Officer vs Security Guard

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse protective service jobs