Q: How long does it take to become a security officer?

It takes as little as a week to become a security officer. The first step is obtaining your Class B license. The license requires a minimum of 40 hours of professional security training, followed by an exam.

Q: Can a security guard make 100k?

No, you cannot make $100,000 per year as a security guard. It is highly unlikely to earn over $100k because the average annual salary for a security guard is $30,409. Even security guards in higher-paid positions do not typically earn more than $38,000 per year.

Q: Do security guards make good money?

No, security guards do not make good money. The median hourly wage is only $14.27 an hour ($29,680 a year). The hourly wage for a security guard ranges from $10.17 ($21,159 a year) and to $24.19 ($50,319 a year).

Question 1

Security Officer vs. Security Guard

Accepted Answer

A security officer is a watch person with a wider range of duties and the ability to exercise independent judgment, while a security guard is a watch person who is assigned a particular post or patrol area and has little independent judgment.

Question 2

How long does it take to become a Security Guard?

Accepted Answer

It takes 3 years of professional experience to become a security guard. That is the time it takes to learn specific security guard skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

Question 3

How long does it take to become a security officer?

Accepted Answer

It takes as little as a week to become a security officer. The first step is obtaining your Class B license. The license requires a minimum of 40 hours of professional security training, followed by an exam.

Question 4

How to get a job in security

Accepted Answer

To get a job in security, use this guide:

Finish high school or get a GED. To become a security guard, you have to be at least 18 years of age, and most positions require you to have a high school degree or equivalent.
Get the proper training. When you obtain a security guard position, the company usually has a certain training period you must complete that involves getting to know the layout of a building or facility and policies and procedures necessary to the job, like emergency plans, etc.
However, certain states require that security guards go through training prior to applying for positions. These training courses are usually in the range of eight to 16 hours. Sometimes this is an annual practice, even after you have obtained a job in security.
The training will cover proper security procedures and specific training on issues like how to perform first aid, how to write security reports, and public relations knowledge.
Security guards that carry weapons also need additional training to do so. Firearms training is a requirement if you are to obtain a security position that has you carrying a gun.
Get certifications. Certain companies require certifications in order to be considered for a security job.
These certifications may include:
- Class D Security License - States that all unarmed security officers must obtain this license after finishing their training hours and passing an exam. The requirement is at least 40 hours of training, and security guards may work in a mall, hospital, school or business setting.
- Class G Security License - States that any armed security guard must apply for this license. This license proves that guards have completed and passed firearms training in addition to security training.
  Even if a company does not require certifications, it is a good idea because it helps you stand out as a candidate.
Develop the skills needed to be a good security guard candidate. If possible, you should develop useful skills that can be applied to most security guard positions. You can do this through work experience or other avenues, like volunteer work or club memberships.
Here are the most valuable skills to have for security roles:
- Attention to detail
- Compliance
- Communication
- Decision-making and problem-solving ability
- Conflict resolution
- Patience
- Physical fitness
These skills can be gained from work experience outside of the security industry and even from academic experience.
Be able to pass a background check. It is important to have a clean criminal record when applying for security guard positions. Most companies will not hire a security guard that has a felony on their record.
In addition, many companies will also require you to pass a drug test as well.

Question 5

What are the pros and cons of being a security guard?

Accepted Answer

The pros of being a security guard are flexible hours and easy start-up, while the cons are dangerous work and costly mistakes.

Here is a more detailed look at the pros and cons of being a security guard:

Question 6

What disqualifies you from being a security guard?

Accepted Answer

In most cases, a felony conviction will disqualify you from being a security guard. Security guards are expected to work hard to preserve peace and safety in the community. To that end, they are expected to be upstanding, trustworthy citizens who value safety.

To help ensure that companies are only hiring the best of the best, all candidates will have to submit to a security guard background check that is strict and thorough. This background check will gather information from criminal records, employment history, and education history. They will also have to submit references that will be checked.

In most cases, a felony conviction on a candidate's criminal record will result in an automatic disqualification. A guilty plea to a felony will also greatly reduce your chances of becoming a security guard. This is particularly true if you are applying to be an armed guard and if you are convicted for violent crimes like:

Assault
Rape
Murder
Fraud
Arson

In some jurisdictions, becoming a security guard with a misdemeanor is still possible. In general, misdemeanors are less severe than felonies, but a few will stop a candidate from being hired as a security guard.

The definition of a serious misdemeanor isn't as precise as a felony and will vary from agency to agency. In general, whether a misdemeanor or felony, the following convictions will disqualify you as a candidate for a security guard:

Assault
Perjury
Domestic violence
Theft
Recklessness

In addition to a background check, most companies require that their security guard applicants undergo a drug test. This is to deter the abuse of drugs, prevent the hiring of employees who use illegal drugs, and provide early identification of possible drug or substance use issues.

Pre-employment drug testing is standard and extremely cost-effective since most drug users will not bother applying at a company conducting pre-employment drug screening. Most companies will also conduct post-accident testing if they have reasonable suspicion of drug use.

Question 7

What is a good starting salary for a Security Guard?

Accepted Answer

A good starting salary for a security guard is $23,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a security guard in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for security guards is $30,409, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a security guard can vary by state.

Question 8

How much do beginner security guards make?

Accepted Answer

Beginner security guards make between $23,000 to $33,000 per year. Top earning entry-level security guards may earn up to $47,000 in a year, but the median salary is around $31,000 a year.

Question 9

Can a security guard make 100k?

Accepted Answer

No, you cannot make $100,000 per year as a security guard. It is highly unlikely to earn over $100k because the average annual salary for a security guard is $30,409. Even security guards in higher-paid positions do not typically earn more than $38,000 per year.

Question 10

Do security guards make good money?

Accepted Answer

No, security guards do not make good money. The median hourly wage is only $14.27 an hour ($29,680 a year). The hourly wage for a security guard ranges from $10.17 ($21,159 a year) and to $24.19 ($50,319 a year).

Question 11

What are the highest-paying security guard jobs?

Accepted Answer

The highest-paying security guard jobs include the chief information security officers, security architects, and risk managers. These jobs all utilize the skills of a security job at an advanced leadership level, which means they are also highly compensated.

Question 12

What qualifications do I need to be a security guard?

Accepted Answer

The base qualification of a security guard is a high school diploma or its equivalent. Though it is quite rare, companies may prefer to hire security guards with a two- or even a four-year degree in criminal justice, police science, or another applicable field.

Question 13

How to get a security guard license

Accepted Answer

To get a security guard license, you must hold a GED or equivalent education, be at least 18 years old, be of sound mind, and have no violent or felony convictions. These are standard for every single state, but from there, the exact requirements can vary depending on location.

Question 14

What percentage of Security Guards are female?

Accepted Answer

31.8% of security guards are female in the United States. This is 0.6 percentage points higher than last year. Additionally, the percentage of female security guards has increased by 1.5 percentage points since 2010. That means there are a total of 278,913 female security guards in the U.S. and 598,174 male security guards in the United States. Note that Zippia's estimate accounts only for the 877,087 people with the specific job title of security guard and doesn't include grouping similar job titles, or people with potentially similar credentialing.

Question 15

How do I write a security guard resume with no experience?

Accepted Answer

You write a security guard resume with no experience by focusing on your transferable skills and related experience. As a security guard, you're trained to have a keen eye for detail, an understanding of safety procedures, and a good intuition for people; your resume should reflect this and much more.

Question 16

What are the skills of a good security guard?

Accepted Answer

The skills of a good security guard include a mixture of hard and soft skills to successfully protect a person, organization, or asset in the case of an incident. Skills needed are related to monitoring a specific area, evicting trespassers, and writing reports detailing any occurrences during their shift.

Question 17

What should a security guard put on a resume?

Accepted Answer

A security guard should put the skills and experience related to effectively monitoring and securing a location and its assets on a resume. A security guard's resume needs to show that you're familiar with safety compliance standards and that you're skilled in confronting a variety of undesirable incidents.

Question 18

How many hours do security guards work?

Accepted Answer

Security guards work 40 hours per workweek. Many facilities must always have someone on duty, so security guards work shifts. These shifts can be 8 to 12 hours, depending on the facility. Typically, if a security guard works 8-hour shifts, they work five shifts a week, while 12-hour shifts are generally only three shifts a week.

Frequently asked questions about security guards

Questions about becoming a security guard