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What is a patrol guard and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a patrol guard. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.46 an hour? That's $36,321 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 38,000 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScorePatrol GuardUS Average
Salary
2.8

Avg. Salary $36,321

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.6

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
10.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.58%

Asian 4.95%

Black or African American 11.97%

Hispanic or Latino 24.39%

Unknown 5.30%

White 51.81%

Gender

female 26.10%

male 73.90%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress level
8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
4.9

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
9.4

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Patrol guard career paths

Key steps to become a patrol guard

  1. Explore patrol guard education requirements

    Most common patrol guard degrees

    High School Diploma

    37.5 %

    Associate

    24.4 %

    Bachelor's

    22.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific patrol guard skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patrol59.96%
    Emergency Situations8.50%
    Security Checks5.81%
    Foot Patrol4.30%
    Medical Emergencies3.31%
  3. Complete relevant patrol guard training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New patrol guards learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a patrol guard based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real patrol guard resumes.
  4. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming a licensed patrol guard usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you don't need to pass an exam to become a licensed patrol guard in most of states. 30 states require patrol guards to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
    StateEducationExamLicense url
    Alabama--Licensed Personal Security Officer
    Maryland--GUARDS
    AlaskaSpecific course required-Security Guard
    ArkansasSpecific course requiredState exam requiredPrivate Security Officer (PSO)
    CaliforniaSpecific course requiredState exam requiredSecurity Guard Registration
  5. Research patrol guard duties and responsibilities

    • Review CCTV recordings to check for recordings of offenses.
    • Ensure compliance with all workplace policies for risk identification and risk control including monitoring CCTV camera system.
    • Maintain a standard of punctuality and dependability of attendance and retain myself cleanliness, tidiness, neatness and appropriately attire.
    • Provide safe ride for U.S. diplomats, VIP visitors, and representatives of U.S. Embassy.
  6. Prepare your patrol guard resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your patrol guard resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a patrol guard resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable patrol guard resume templates

    Build a professional patrol guard resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your patrol guard resume.
    Patrol Guard Resume
    Patrol Guard Resume
    Patrol Guard Resume
    Patrol Guard Resume
    Patrol Guard Resume
    Patrol Guard Resume
    Patrol Guard Resume
    Patrol Guard Resume
    Patrol Guard Resume
  7. Apply for patrol guard jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a patrol guard job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first patrol guard job

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Are you a patrol guard?

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Average patrol guard salary

The average patrol guard salary in the United States is $36,321 per year or $17 per hour. Patrol guard salaries range between $25,000 and $51,000 per year.

Average patrol guard salary
$36,321 Yearly
$17.46 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do patrol guards rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

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1 star

Patrol guard reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Cons

The pay is not worth what you have to do sometimes

Pros

Meeting a lot of different people have helped people in this job


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2021
Pros

Protecting people and the property where I’m sign at.

Cons

There’s nothing about the officer that I don’t like


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

Yes because is a job that deal with helping people that your help and there's a wonderful happiness while working properly and helping people at the sometime.

Cons

One sometimes people will not like you but they need a help from you but to me a don't call it anything now because I know the status of the job even in a building I have work in that area as a security guard department with my license from United Arab Emirates.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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