Private security officer vs security guard

The differences between private security officers and security guards can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a security guard has an average salary of $31,983, which is higher than the $31,059 average annual salary of a private security officer.

The top three skills for a private security officer include patrol, emergency situations and foot patrol. The most important skills for a security guard are customer service, patrol, and ladders.

Private security officer vs security guard overview

	Private Security Officer	Security Guard
Yearly salary	$31,059	$31,983
Hourly rate	$14.93	$15.38
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	114,851	101,728
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Private security officer vs security guard salary

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

	Private Security Officer	Security Guard
Average salary	$31,059	$31,983
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $40,000	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 private security officer and security guard education

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

	Private Security Officer	Security Guard
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Private security officer vs security guard demographics

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

	Private Security Officer	Security Guard
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 77.9% Female, 22.1%	Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 5.4% White, 55.0% 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 private security officer and security guard duties and responsibilities

Private security officer example 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.
Patrol assign area looking for suspicious activity and showing presence.
Maintain a standard of punctuality and dependability of attendance and retain myself cleanliness, tidiness, neatness and appropriately attire.

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.

Private security officer vs security guard skills

Common private security officer skills

Patrol, 22%
Emergency Situations, 8%
Foot Patrol, 8%
Security Services, 7%
Surveillance Equipment, 6%
Vehicle Patrols, 5%

Common security guard skills

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

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Protective Service Industry
Private Security Officer
Private Security Officer vs Security Guard

Updated January 8, 2025

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