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The differences between security guards and community services officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a community services officer has an average salary of $38,039, which is higher than the $31,983 average annual salary of a security guard.
The top three skills for a security guard include customer service, patrol and ladders. The most important skills for a community services officer are patrol, public safety, and traffic control.
| Security Guard | Community Services Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $31,983 | $38,039 |
| Hourly rate | $15.38 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 101,728 | 181,257 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Security guards are responsible for maintaining and ensuring the peace and safety of the building they are assigned to. They ensure that everyone who enters the building has official business to be done in the building. They are also in charge of patrolling and monitoring activities within the area. Security guards are also tasked to immobilize anyone who seems to pose a threat to the peace and safety of the building. They are also responsible for preventing any untoward incidences or crimes that may happen in the area. Security guards must be observant and alert to be able to succeed in their roles.
Community service offers or CSO support in crime response, investigation, and prevention where police powers are not necessary. The community service officers assist the police officers in terms of upholding order and law in the community. They provide citizens with customer service, community outreach, and patrol. It is their job to implement city codes and other non-criminal police associated duties. They provide non-EMS in-home and on-site assistance to the citizens. Also, they respond to non-criminal complaints, building checks, and more.
Security guards and community services officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security Guard | Community Services Officer | |
| Average salary | $31,983 | $38,039 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lakewood, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | Basin Electric Power Cooperative | City of Los Angeles |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Education |
There are a few differences between a security guard and a community services officer in terms of educational background:
| Security Guard | Community Services Officer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between security guards' and community services officers' demographics:
| Security Guard | Community Services Officer | |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0% | Male, 56.1% Female, 43.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 2.9% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 7% |