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What is a security assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Latarcia Barnes PhD

Security assistants are essential to a wide range of organizations. They are the critical people who oversee and protect the assets of a particular company. As a security assistant, you will formulate and implement security programs in conjunction with the security officer and management of the company.

Some of the duties and responsibilities that you will fulfill as a security assistant include aiding the security manager in coordinating security operations, as well as managing and training other security personnel and monitoring their performance. Moreover, you will help in draft and implement other security policies and procedures. As a security assistant, you will hold responsibility for maintaining all security equipment, like CCTV cameras and two-way radios, and liaising with police in cases of security breaches. Essential skills that you need to successfully execute these duties are communication, physical stamina, flexibility, and motivation.

To qualify for this role, you will need a high school diploma or a GED along with certifications in areas such as first aid and similar emergency preparedness courses. Prior work experience in a similar role will be given preference. The average hourly pay for this position is $16.66, which amounts to more than $34,000 annually.

What general advice would you give to a security assistant?

Dr. Latarcia Barnes PhD

Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology, Associate Professor

Federal law enforcement is a great profession to enter. There is retirement after 20 years, great career advancement, and great benefits
ScoreSecurity AssistantUS Average
Salary
3.0

Avg. Salary $38,261

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.6

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
10.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.60%

Asian 6.14%

Black or African American 15.60%

Hispanic or Latino 18.44%

Unknown 5.34%

White 52.89%

Gender

female 43.61%

male 56.39%

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

Security assistant career paths

Key steps to become a security assistant

  1. Explore security assistant education requirements

    Most common security assistant degrees

    Bachelor's

    50.4 %

    Associate

    21.1 %

    High School Diploma

    14.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific security assistant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service11.23%
    Security Clearance7.84%
    Patrol6.63%
    Patients5.77%
    Security Procedures5.23%
  3. Complete relevant security assistant training and internships

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

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

    • Manage the application for the FCL, maintain e-FCL and track clearance progress; provide CEO reports for require clearance actions.
    • Review, approve and input daily patrol logs, inspection forms, incident reports, and correspondence into the appropriate file/system.
    • Assist DHS on a contract with CBP.
    • Track employee DHS suitability status.
  6. Prepare your security assistant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your security assistant 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 security assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable security assistant resume templates

    Build a professional security assistant 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 security assistant resume.
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  7. Apply for security assistant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a security assistant 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 security assistant job

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Average security assistant salary

The average security assistant salary in the United States is $38,261 per year or $18 per hour. Security assistant salaries range between $24,000 and $59,000 per year.

Average security assistant salary
$38,261 Yearly
$18.39 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do security assistants rate their job?

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Security assistant reviews

profile
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


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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