Correctional guard vs security guard

The differences between correctional guards and security guards can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a correctional guard has an average salary of $37,889, which is higher than the $31,983 average annual salary of a security guard.

The top three skills for a correctional guard include facility policy, security checks and emergency situations. The most important skills for a security guard are customer service, patrol, and ladders.

Correctional guard vs security guard overview

	Correctional Guard	Security Guard
Yearly salary	$37,889	$31,983
Hourly rate	$18.22	$15.38
Growth rate	-10%	3%
Number of jobs	18,348	101,728
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	40	43
Years of experience	-	-

Correctional guard vs security guard salary

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

	Correctional Guard	Security Guard
Average salary	$37,889	$31,983
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $48,000	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 correctional guard and security guard education

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

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

Correctional guard vs security guard demographics

Here are the differences between correctional guards' and security guards' demographics:

	Correctional Guard	Security Guard
Average age	40	43
Gender ratio	Male, 68.1% Female, 31.9%	Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 19.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 2.0% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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 correctional guard and security guard duties and responsibilities

Correctional guard example responsibilities.

Aid inmates in their rehabilitation by scheduling work assignments, counseling, and educational opportunities.
Issue weapons and ammunition for transportation officers.

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.

Correctional guard vs security guard skills

Common correctional guard skills

Facility Policy, 29%
Security Checks, 21%
Emergency Situations, 21%
Clinical Treatment, 17%
CPR, 3%
Vital Signs, 2%

Common security guard skills

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