Security guard vs public safety officer

The differences between security guards and public safety officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a public safety officer has an average salary of $36,596, 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 public safety officer are patrol, patients, and public safety.

Security guard vs public safety officer overview

	Security Guard	Public Safety Officer
Yearly salary	$31,983	$36,596
Hourly rate	$15.38	$17.59
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	101,728	122,048
Job satisfaction	4	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	43	40
Years of experience	-	-

What does a security guard do?

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.

What does a public safety officer do?

Public relations assistants are professionals who are responsible for creating and distributing promotional materials to help clients increase their public image and awareness of their products and services. These assistants are required to help develop and distribute public relations materials such as brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, and sell sheets. They must handle all the communications of their clients to the public by supervising social media content, press releases, and emails. Public relations assistants must also gather materials to be used in trade shows or client presentations.

Security guard vs public safety officer salary

Security guards and public safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Security Guard	Public Safety Officer
Average salary	$31,983	$36,596
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Lakewood, WA	New Britain, CT
Highest paying state	Hawaii	North Dakota
Best paying company	Basin Electric Power Cooperative	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Utilities	Health Care

Differences between security guard and public safety officer education

There are a few differences between a security guard and a public safety officer in terms of educational background:

	Security Guard	Public Safety Officer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	California State University - Bakersfield

Security guard vs public safety officer demographics

Here are the differences between security guards' and public safety officers' demographics:

	Security Guard	Public Safety Officer
Average age	43	40
Gender ratio	Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0%	Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3%
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, 11.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 3.4% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	7%

Differences between security guard and public safety officer duties and responsibilities

Security guard example responsibilities.

Assist employees with any and all concerns regarding payroll issues, insurance and requesting time off.
Certify in fire safety, adult/child CPR with mask and choking, adult/child a, infant CPR w/ mask and choking.
Distribute payroll checks to security officers.
Administer CPR and transport injured personnel to local medical facilities.
Monitor CCTV and other various intrusion detection security equipment for security issues.
Provide relief to other security officers while maintaining punctuality and building moral support.

Public safety officer example responsibilities.

Manage litigation and bankruptcy matters.
Apply hand cuffs, restraints and calm combative irate people, handling emergency situations, report writing, CPR, a.
Patrol campus, answer calls: fire, police, ems.
Engage in assistance for medical staff in dangerous situations, patient restraints, heavy lifting, and area access.
Monitor campus radio and cameras, dispatch emergency calls, issue summonses and utilize the NYSPIN computer communication network.
Involve in patient restraints and aggressive patient/visitor confrontations.

Security guard vs public safety officer skills

Common security guard skills

Customer Service, 25%
Patrol, 17%
Ladders, 16%
Security Services, 6%
Emergency Situations, 4%
CPR, 3%

Common public safety officer skills

Patrol, 18%
Patients, 17%
Public Safety, 12%
Customer Service, 7%
CPR, 5%
Emergency Situations, 5%

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Protective Service Industry
Security Guard
Security Guard vs Public Safety Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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