Gate guard vs facility security officer

The differences between gate guards and facility security officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a facility security officer has an average salary of $38,701, which is higher than the $36,326 average annual salary of a gate guard.

The top three skills for a gate guard include customer service, traffic flow and vehicle inspections. The most important skills for a facility security officer are security program, JPAS, and patrol.

Gate guard vs facility security officer overview

	Gate Guard	Facility Security Officer
Yearly salary	$36,326	$38,701
Hourly rate	$17.46	$18.61
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	82,549	124,890
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Gate guard vs facility security officer salary

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

	Gate Guard	Facility Security Officer
Average salary	$36,326	$38,701
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $45,000	Between $28,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	-	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	SMTC
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between gate guard and facility security officer education

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

	Gate Guard	Facility Security Officer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	-	-

Gate guard vs facility security officer demographics

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

	Gate Guard	Facility Security Officer
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 64.2% Female, 35.8%	Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 24.6% Asian, 5.0% White, 51.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	Black or African American, 16.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 5.7% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between gate guard and facility security officer duties and responsibilities

Gate guard example responsibilities.

Conduct roving patrol of assign sector whether interior or exterior of perimeter.
Ensure that no prohibit items are brought into the SCIF.
Coordinate and control all incoming maintenance personnel with the SCIF spaces.
Maintain all paperwork necessary while maintaining a level of alertness and responsibility necessary to ensure security of all areas of duty.

Facility security officer example responsibilities.

Manage the application for the FCL, maintain e-FCL and track clearance progress; provide CEO reports for require clearance actions.
Act as FSO and primary facility POC while FSO are away, conduct security briefings and initiating certain security actions.
Inspect classified accounts for compliance with the security regulations and policies regarding protection of classify information and COMSEC material.
Receive AED and CPR certification.
Schedule and conduct orientation, first aid, CPR and alcohol training classes.
Act as central dispatcher and carefully monitor the premises through the campus CCTV system.

Gate guard vs facility security officer skills

Common gate guard skills

Customer Service, 46%
Traffic Flow, 27%
Vehicle Inspections, 13%
Property Damage, 2%
Safety Procedures, 2%
Emergency Situations, 2%

Common facility security officer skills

Security Program, 7%
JPAS, 5%
Patrol, 5%
DOD, 5%
NISP, 5%
Security Procedures, 4%

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Protective Service Industry
Gate Guard
Gate Guard vs Facility Security Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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