How to hire a security assistant

How to hire a security assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step security assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a security assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new security assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a security assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a security assistant, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A security assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, security assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of security assistants.

   Type of Security Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Security Assistant	Security guards and gaming surveillance officers patrol and protect property against theft, vandalism, terrorism, and illegal activity.	$11-28
   Detective	A detective is responsible for conducting in-depth investigations for criminal activities, potential threats, and other law-violating incidents, coordinating closely with law-enforcement agencies and crime intelligence analysts. Detectives often work on the field, gathering data and related evidence to support claims and connect the timeline of events... Show more	$16-45
   Deputy	The duties of a deputy vary on their line of work or place of employment. In law enforcement, a deputy is primarily in charge of conducting investigations on crimes and arresting criminals, performing regular patrols on streets, responding to calls of distress, and assisting citizens in calamities, disasters, accidents, or any forms of threat... Show more	$14-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Security Clearance
   • Patrol
   • Patients
   • Security Procedures
   • Background Checks
   • Data Entry
   • Law Enforcement
   • Emergency Situations
   • CPR
   • Personnel Security Investigations
   • Physical Security
   • CCTV
   • DOD

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Request all supporting documents through DCII and the SMO need to properly determine access.
   • Conduct quarterly boat patrol inspections and annotates/resolve discrepancies.

   More security assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the security assistant job description is a good way to get more applicants. A security assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a security assistant in Georgia may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level security assistant. Additionally, a security assistant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average security assistant salary

   $38,261yearly

   $18.39 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level security assistant salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average security assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$60,425	$29
   2	Massachusetts	$54,332	$26
   3	Connecticut	$51,632	$25
   4	New York	$51,374	$25
   5	California	$46,942	$23
   6	New Jersey	$46,299	$22
   7	Ohio	$44,911	$22
   8	Nevada	$43,336	$21
   9	Michigan	$39,146	$19
   10	Missouri	$37,183	$18
   11	Illinois	$36,797	$18
   12	Arizona	$35,246	$17
   13	Kansas	$35,150	$17
   14	Indiana	$34,081	$16
   15	Colorado	$32,410	$16
   16	South Carolina	$31,546	$15
   17	Tennessee	$31,147	$15
   18	Georgia	$30,617	$15
   19	Iowa	$28,963	$14
   20	Florida	$27,799	$13

   Average security assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Inter-Con Security Systems	$52,858	$25.41	292
   2	Jefferson Elementary School District	$50,502	$24.28
   3	Lockheed Martin	$50,322	$24.19	136
   4	Logistics Management Institute	$50,293	$24.18	4
   5	Zenetex	$49,330	$23.72
   6	Thermo Fisher Scientific	$48,686	$23.41	2
   7	Interactive Brokers	$48,019	$23.09
   8	New York State Restaurant Association	$46,288	$22.25
   9	General Dynamics	$44,101	$21.20	88
   10	Internal Revenue Service	$43,628	$20.98
   11	E. & J. Gallo Winery	$42,425	$20.40	2
   12	State Bar of Michigan	$42,413	$20.39	2
   13	Nes Holdings	$42,239	$20.31	1
   14	Peraton	$41,842	$20.12	37
   15	Us Army Reserves	$41,058	$19.74	2
   16	Army National Guard	$40,887	$19.66
   17	Precise Systems	$40,669	$19.55
   18	The City University of New York	$40,454	$19.45	18
   19	NANA	$39,987	$19.22	73
   20	Paez, Guadalupe	$39,970	$19.22

4. Writing a security assistant job description

   A job description for a security assistant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a security assistant job description:

   Security assistant job description example

   Essential Functions -
   
   * Safeguards the company's assets.
   * Maintains security over the entire facility during assigned shift.
   * Oversees guest and employee safety.
   * Enforces the company's policies and procedures.
   * Prepares Guest Accident Reports and Security Incident Reports.
   * Escorts coin and cash.
   * Collects and transports drop boxes to storage area.
   * Administers minor first aid when required.
   * Performs related duties as assigned.
   * Supervises Security Officers
   * Performs all other duties as assigned.
   
   Supervisory Responsibilities: Yes
   
   Education and/or Experience: Two years of security experience and one year of supervisor experience preferred. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Ability to read, analyze and interpret common documentation. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from team members, regulatory agencies or members of the staff. Ability to write and present information to management in a reasonable manner. Ability to perform normal mathematical computations in regards to the implementation of current duties. Ability to define problems collects data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of instructions and deal with several variables. Equipment used regularly includes computer, telephone, fax and copier.
   
   Licenses/Certificates: Must be 21 years or older. Must have the ability to obtain a work permit issued by the Louisiana State Police and must have a valid Driver's License.
   
   Physical Demands: This position has contact with gaming patrons on the gaming floor and Racing guests. Constant wrist motion, sit, hear and eye/hand coordination; Frequently speak, read, write, stand, walk, bend and stoop; Occasionally lift, carry, push and pull. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk. The employee frequently is also required to stand, walk and reach with arms and hands, bend and have the ability to lift at least 25 pounds. Office/Casino and Racing environment; Subject to outdoor temperature/climate conditions such as cold/weather, rain/snow or heat; exposure to smoke, bright lights and noise at times. The work environment consists of very non-demanding surroundings with a low noise level.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right security assistant for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your security assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit security assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit security assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new security assistant

   Once you've found the security assistant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new security assistant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a security assistant?