Security forces demographics and statistics in the US
Security forces demographics research summary. Zippia estimates security forces demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our security forces estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about security forces after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 7,203 security forces currently employed in the United States.
- 23.2% of all security forces are women, while 76.8% are men.
- The average security forces age is 43 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of security forces is White (57.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.9%), Black or African American (11.0%) and Asian (5.7%).
- In 2022, women earned 99% of what men earned.
- 6% of all security forces are LGBT.
- Security forces are 57% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Security forces demographics by:
Security forces gender statistics
23.2% of security forces are women and 76.8% of security forces are men.
- Male, 76.8%
- Female, 23.2%
Security forces gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 76.8% |
| Female | 23.2% |
Security forces gender pay gap
Women earn 99¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$38,074
Female income
$37,694
Security forces gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in security forces positions over time. Currently, 23.2% of security forces are female.
Security forces gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 79.15% | 20.85% |
| 2011 | 78.01% | 21.99% |
| 2012 | 79.13% | 20.87% |
| 2013 | 79.23% | 20.77% |
| 2014 | 78.46% | 21.54% |
| 2015 | 79.12% | 20.88% |
| 2016 | 78.77% | 21.23% |
| 2017 | 77.62% | 22.38% |
| 2018 | 78.40% | 21.60% |
| 2019 | 77.95% | 22.05% |
| 2020 | 75.97% | 24.03% |
| 2021 | 76.77% | 23.23% |
Security forces related jobs gender ratio
We compared security forces with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, rescue boat operator and bodyguard have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Playground Monitor | 18% | 82% |
| School Crossing Guard | 21% | 79% |
| Crossing Guard | 23% | 77% |
| Security Forces | 77% | 23% |
| Bouncer | 94% | 6% |
| Bodyguard | 96% | 4% |
| Rescue Boat Operator | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Security forces demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among security forces is White, which makes up 57.6% of all security forces. Comparatively, 18.9% of security forces are Hispanic or Latino and 11.0% of security forces are Black or African American.
- White, 57.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.9%
- Black or African American, 11.0%
- Asian, 5.7%
- Unknown, 5.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
Security forces race
| Security forces race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 57.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.9% |
| Black or African American | 11.0% |
| Asian | 5.7% |
| Unknown | 5.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.5% |
Security forces race and ethnicity over time
See how security forces racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Security forces race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.11% | 11.34% | 4.46% | 13.75% |
| 2011 | 65.05% | 11.28% | 4.43% | 15.33% |
| 2012 | 64.71% | 11.56% | 4.36% | 15.44% |
| 2013 | 65.04% | 11.12% | 4.62% | 15.53% |
| 2014 | 63.73% | 11.96% | 4.32% | 15.86% |
| 2015 | 63.36% | 11.39% | 4.81% | 16.32% |
| 2016 | 62.99% | 11.16% | 4.59% | 17.19% |
| 2017 | 62.89% | 12.08% | 4.26% | 16.99% |
| 2018 | 63.14% | 10.96% | 4.46% | 17.00% |
| 2019 | 62.13% | 11.67% | 5.28% | 16.87% |
| 2020 | 57.46% | 12.24% | 5.33% | 18.25% |
| 2021 | 57.58% | 11.01% | 5.66% | 18.89% |
Security forces wage gap by race
According to our data, white security forces have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown security forces have the lowest average salary at $37,605.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $37,605 |
| White | $38,325 |
| Black or African American | $38,161 |
| Asian | $38,300 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $37,982 |
Average security forces age
See how the average age of security forces varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Security forces age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 45 | 41 |
| Unknown | 37.5 | 39 |
| Asian | 45 | 44 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 | 36.5 |
| White | 45 | 47 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 38.5 | 37 |
Security forces age breakdown
The average age of security forces is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the security forces population.
Security forces age breakdown
| Security Forces Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 22% |
Security forces educational attainment
The most common degree for security forces is high school diploma, with 37% of security forces earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 25%.
- High School Diploma, 37%
- Associate, 29%
- Bachelor's, 25%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Security forces by degree level
| Security forces degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 37% |
| Associate | 29% |
| Bachelor's | 25% |
| Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Security forces jobs you might like
Security forces wage gap by degree level
According to the data, security forces with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $42,432 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, security forces earn a median annual income of $39,571 compared to $37,517 for security forces with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $42,432 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $36,334 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $39,571 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $37,517 |
Security forces employment statistics
Most security forces work for a private in the government industry.
Company size where security forces work
Below, you can see the size of companies where security forces work.
Security forces jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 8% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 24% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 24% |
| > 10,000 employees | 30% |
Security forces jobs by company type
Employees with the security forces job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most security forces prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Security forces jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 10% |
| Private | 57% |
| Government | 31% |
Security forces jobs by industry
The most common industries for security forces are government, professional and manufacturing.
Security forces industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 28% |
| Professional | 14% |
| Fortune 500 | 8% |
| Manufacturing | 8% |
| Transportation | 6% |
| Finance | 6% |
| Retail | 6% |
| Utilities | 4% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Education | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Insurance | 2% |
Security forces turnover and employment statistics
Security forces unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for security forces between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Security forces unemployment rate by year
| Year | Security forces unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.24% |
| 2011 | 11.62% |
| 2012 | 10.40% |
| 2013 | 9.08% |
| 2014 | 8.18% |
| 2015 | 7.21% |
| 2016 | 6.47% |
| 2017 | 5.77% |
| 2018 | 5.47% |
| 2019 | 4.75% |
| 2020 | 6.85% |
| 2021 | 7.46% |
Average security forces tenure
The average security forces stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,116 security forces resumes in Zippia's database.
Security forces tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 12% |
| 1-2 years | 27% |
| 3-4 years | 26% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
Security forces LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of security forces that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Site Crossing Guard | 3.84% | 50,239 |
| Security Forces | 6.29% | - |
| Tipstaff | 7.17% | 137 |
| Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard | 7.20% | 12,052 |
| Store Detective | 8.27% | 67,322 |
| Screener | 15.51% | 3,108 |
Similar security forces jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Site Crossing Guard | 3.84% | 50,239 |
| Tipstaff | 7.17% | 137 |
| Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard | 7.20% | 12,052 |
| Store Detective | 8.27% | 67,322 |
| Screener | 15.51% | 3,108 |
Foreign languages spoken by security forces
The most common foreign language among security forces is Spanish at 57.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 10.0% and German is the third-most popular at 7.5%.
- Spanish, 57.5%
- Chinese, 10.0%
- German, 7.5%
- Dakota, 5.0%
- Mandarin, 5.0%
- Other, 15.0%
Security forces languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 57.5% |
| Chinese | 10.0% |
| German | 7.5% |
| Dakota | 5.0% |
| Mandarin | 5.0% |
| Other | 15.0% |
