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What is a safety and security officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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Safety and security officers are responsible for securing premises and personnel by patrolling property; monitoring surveillance infrastructure; inspecting buildings and equipment; and accessing points alongside permitting entry. They will also need to prevent losses and damage by reporting irregularities, informing violators of policy and procedures as well as restraining trespassers.

They may want to study for a diploma in security and should also learn how to operate detecting systems and emergency equipment. As they will be working in teams, it will be beneficial if candidates have good social skills. They must be proficient in advanced verbal and written communication skills.

Safety and security officers can expect to earn an average salary of $33,472 per year, which boils down to $16.09 per hour. Their salary may increase if they show excellent knowledge of public safety and security procedures/protocols.

ScoreSafety And Security OfficerUS Average
Salary
2.8

Avg. Salary $35,427

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
8.6

Growth Rate 3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
10.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.59%

Asian 5.42%

Black or African American 12.24%

Hispanic or Latino 18.79%

Unknown 5.34%

White 56.63%

Gender

female 20.49%

male 79.51%

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

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Safety And Security Officer career paths

Key steps to become a safety and security officer

  1. Explore safety and security officer education requirements

    Most common safety and security officer degrees

    Bachelor's

    35.6 %

    Associate

    28.1 %

    High School Diploma

    21.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific safety and security officer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patrol15.19%
    Patients13.42%
    Customer Service9.59%
    CPR7.64%
    Emergency Situations6.46%
  3. Complete relevant safety and security officer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New safety and 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 safety and security officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real safety and security officer resumes.
  4. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming a licensed safety and security officer usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you don't need to pass an exam to become a licensed safety and security officer in most of states. 30 states require safety and security officers 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 safety and security officer duties and responsibilities

    • Execute HAZMAT safety and clean up procedures, confine space entry, CPR certify, and emergency/fire protection qualify.
    • Respond to park disturbances and medical calls involving first aid (train in basic first aid and CPR).
    • Monitor and operate CCTV cameras and other recording systems.
    • Patrol and monitor facility daily in accordance with safety policy.
  6. Prepare your safety and security officer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your safety and 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 safety and 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 Safety And Security Officer Resume templates

    Build a professional Safety And 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 Safety And Security Officer resume.
    Safety And Security Officer Resume
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    Safety And Security Officer Resume
  7. Apply for safety and security officer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a safety and security officer 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 Safety And Security Officer Job

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Average safety and security officer salary

The average Safety And Security Officer salary in the United States is $35,427 per year or $17 per hour. Safety and security officer salaries range between $24,000 and $52,000 per year.

Average Safety And Security Officer Salary
$35,427 Yearly
$17.03 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do safety and security officers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

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1 Star

Safety And Security Officer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Pros

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

Cons

The pay is not worth what you have to do sometimes


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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


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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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