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What is a private security officer and how to become one
Avg. Salary $31,059
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 3%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.59%
Asian 5.44%
Black or African American 11.20%
Hispanic or Latino 21.40%
Unknown 5.36%
White 55.02%
Genderfemale 22.14%
male 77.86%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
Private security officer career paths
Key steps to become a private security officer
Explore private security officer education requirements
Start to develop specific private security officer skills
Skills Percentages Patrol 22.42% Emergency Situations 8.15% Foot Patrol 8.10% Security Services 7.17% Surveillance Equipment 5.91% Complete relevant private security officer training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New private security officers 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 private security officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real private security officer resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming a licensed private security officer usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you don't need to pass an exam to become a licensed private security officer in most of states. 30 states require private security officers to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.State Education Exam License url Alabama - - Licensed Personal Security Officer Maryland - - GUARDS Alaska Specific course required - Security Guard Arkansas Specific course required State exam required Private Security Officer (PSO) California Specific course required State exam required Security Guard Registration Research private security officer duties and responsibilities
- Certify security officer and CPR, a.
- Provide emergency procedures, such as first aid, CPR, etc.
- Monitor CCTV cameras to provide a safe and secure environment for all residents and guests.
- Used CCTV monitoring to reinforce authorize personnel access, rotating camera shots as necessary for complete surveillance of the area.
Prepare your private security officer resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your private security officer 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 private security officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable private security officer resume templates
Build a professional private security officer 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 private security officer resume.
Apply for private security officer jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a private security officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first private security officer job
Are you a private security officer?
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Average private security officer salary
The average private security officer salary in the United States is $31,059 per year or $15 per hour. Private security officer salaries range between $23,000 and $40,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do private security officers rate their job?
Private security officer reviews
The pay is not worth what you have to do sometimes
Meeting a lot of different people have helped people in this job
Protecting people and the property where I’m sign at.
There’s nothing about the officer that I don’t like
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.
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.
Updated January 8, 2025
