Security guard demographics and statistics in the US
Security guard demographics research summary. Zippia estimates security guard demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our security guard 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 guards after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 823,148 security guards currently employed in the United States.
- 28.0% of all security guards are women, while 72.0% are men.
- The average security guard age is 43 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of security guards is White (54.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (21.0%), Black or African American (12.7%) and Asian (5.3%).
- Security guards are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The utilities industry is the highest-paying for security guards.
- 6% of all security guards are LGBT.
On this page
Security guard demographics by:
Security guard gender statistics
28.0% of security guards are women and 72.0% of security guards are men.
- Male, 72.0%
- Female, 28.0%
Security guard gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 72.0% |
| Female | 28.0% |
Security guard gender pay gap
Women earn 99¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$32,785
Female income
$32,453
Security guard gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in security guard positions over time. Currently, 28.0% of security guards are female.
Security guard gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.70% | 25.30% |
| 2011 | 73.39% | 26.61% |
| 2012 | 74.67% | 25.33% |
| 2013 | 74.79% | 25.21% |
| 2014 | 73.91% | 26.09% |
| 2015 | 74.66% | 25.34% |
| 2016 | 74.25% | 25.75% |
| 2017 | 72.95% | 27.05% |
| 2018 | 73.84% | 26.16% |
| 2019 | 73.33% | 26.67% |
| 2020 | 71.08% | 28.92% |
| 2021 | 71.99% | 28.01% |
Security guard related jobs gender ratio
We compared security guards 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 Guard | 72% | 28% |
| Bouncer | 94% | 6% |
| Bodyguard | 96% | 4% |
| Rescue Boat Operator | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Security guard demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among security guards is White, which makes up 54.0% of all security guards. Comparatively, 21.0% of security guards are Hispanic or Latino and 12.7% of security guards are Black or African American.
- White, 54.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 21.0%
- Black or African American, 12.7%
- Unknown, 5.3%
- Asian, 5.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
Security guard race
| Security guard race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 54.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 21.0% |
| Black or African American | 12.7% |
| Unknown | 5.3% |
| Asian | 5.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.7% |
Security guard race and ethnicity over time
See how security guard racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Security guard race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63.56% | 13.05% | 4.15% | 15.86% |
| 2011 | 61.51% | 13.00% | 4.12% | 17.44% |
| 2012 | 61.17% | 13.27% | 4.04% | 17.55% |
| 2013 | 61.50% | 12.83% | 4.31% | 17.65% |
| 2014 | 60.19% | 13.68% | 4.01% | 17.97% |
| 2015 | 59.82% | 13.11% | 4.49% | 18.43% |
| 2016 | 59.45% | 12.87% | 4.28% | 19.30% |
| 2017 | 59.35% | 13.80% | 3.94% | 19.11% |
| 2018 | 59.60% | 12.68% | 4.15% | 19.12% |
| 2019 | 58.59% | 13.39% | 4.97% | 18.98% |
| 2020 | 53.92% | 13.95% | 5.02% | 20.37% |
| 2021 | 54.04% | 12.72% | 5.35% | 21.00% |
Security guard wage gap by race
According to our data, white security guards have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown security guards have the lowest average salary at $32,376.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $32,376 |
| White | $33,004 |
| Black or African American | $32,861 |
| Asian | $32,982 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $32,705 |
Average security guard age
See how the average age of security guards varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Security guard 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 guard age breakdown
The average age of security guards is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the security guard population.
Security guard age breakdown
| Security Guard Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 22% |
Security guard educational attainment
The most common degree for security guards is high school diploma, with 42% of security guards earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 21% and bachelor's degree degree at 20%.
- High School Diploma, 42%
- Bachelor's, 21%
- Associate, 20%
- Diploma, 10%
- Other Degrees, 7%
Security guards by degree level
| Security guard degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 42% |
| Bachelor's | 21% |
| Associate | 20% |
| Diploma | 10% |
| Other Degrees | 7% |
Security guard jobs you might like
Security guard wage gap by degree level
According to the data, security guards with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $36,594 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, security guards earn a median annual income of $34,092 compared to $32,298 for security guards with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $36,594 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $31,265 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,092 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,298 |
Security guard employment statistics
Most security guards work for a private in the utilities industry.
Company size where security guards work
Below, you can see the size of companies where security guards work.
Security guard jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 13% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 21% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 16% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 28% |
| > 10,000 employees | 16% |
Security guard jobs by company type
Employees with the security guard job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most security guards prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Security guard jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 11% |
| Private | 84% |
| Government | 4% |
Security guard jobs by industry
The most common industries for security guards are utilities, professional and manufacturing.
Security guard industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Utilities | 22% |
| Professional | 21% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Hospitality | 6% |
| Retail | 6% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Technology | 6% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Government | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Security guard turnover and employment statistics
Security guard unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for security guards between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Security guard unemployment rate by year
| Year | Security guard 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 guard tenure
The average security guard stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 177,622 security guards resumes in Zippia's database.
Security guard tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 34% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 4% |
Security guard LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of security guards 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Flagger | 3.84% | 6,597 |
| Security Guard | 6.29% | - |
| Civil Service Worker | 7.17% | 62,973 |
| Swim Instructor | 7.20% | 24,849 |
| House Detective | 8.27% | 23,382 |
| Screener | 15.51% | 3,108 |
Similar security guard jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Flagger | 3.84% | 6,597 |
| Civil Service Worker | 7.17% | 62,973 |
| Swim Instructor | 7.20% | 24,849 |
| House Detective | 8.27% | 23,382 |
| Screener | 15.51% | 3,108 |
Foreign languages spoken by security guards
The most common foreign language among security guards is Spanish at 71.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.4% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 3.0%.
- Spanish, 71.9%
- French, 8.4%
- Arabic, 3.0%
- German, 2.7%
- Russian, 1.8%
- Other, 12.2%
Security guard languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 71.9% |
| French | 8.4% |
| Arabic | 3.0% |
| German | 2.7% |
| Russian | 1.8% |
| Other | 12.2% |
