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What is a security guard supervisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a security guard supervisor. For example, did you know that they make an average of $15.61 an hour? That's $32,465 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 38,000 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreSecurity Guard SupervisorUS Average
Salary
2.5

Avg. Salary $32,465

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.6

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
10.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.58%

Asian 5.64%

Black or African American 11.34%

Hispanic or Latino 22.50%

Unknown 5.29%

White 53.65%

Gender

female 26.39%

male 73.61%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress level
8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
4.9

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
9.4

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Security guard supervisor career paths

Key steps to become a security guard supervisor

  1. Explore security guard supervisor education requirements

    Most common security guard supervisor degrees

    High School Diploma

    35.8 %

    Associate

    25.2 %

    Bachelor's

    22.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific security guard supervisor skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patrol28.01%
    Emergency Situations12.01%
    Incident Reports8.05%
    Payroll5.44%
    Property Damage4.96%
  3. Complete relevant security guard supervisor training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New security guard supervisors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a security guard supervisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real security guard supervisor resumes.
  4. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming a licensed security guard supervisor usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you don't need to pass an exam to become a licensed security guard supervisor in most of states. 30 states require security guard supervisors to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
    StateEducationExamLicense url
    Alabama--Licensed Personal Security Officer
    Maryland--GUARDS
    AlaskaSpecific course required-Security Guard
    ArkansasSpecific course requiredState exam requiredPrivate Security Officer (PSO)
    CaliforniaSpecific course requiredState exam requiredSecurity Guard Registration
  5. Research security guard supervisor duties and responsibilities

    • Certify in first aid CPR and a.
    • Monitor facility using CCTV equipment.
    • Foot patrol of facility and report to manager/client personnel of any suspicious activity.
    • Train subordinate security professionals in security rules and procedures, and patrol property.
  6. Prepare your security guard supervisor resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your security guard supervisor resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a security guard supervisor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable security guard supervisor resume templates

    Build a professional security guard supervisor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your security guard supervisor resume.
    Security Guard Supervisor Resume
    Security Guard Supervisor Resume
    Security Guard Supervisor Resume
    Security Guard Supervisor Resume
    Security Guard Supervisor Resume
    Security Guard Supervisor Resume
    Security Guard Supervisor Resume
    Security Guard Supervisor Resume
    Security Guard Supervisor Resume
  7. Apply for security guard supervisor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a security guard supervisor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first security guard supervisor job

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Are you a security guard supervisor?

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Average security guard supervisor salary

The average security guard supervisor salary in the United States is $32,465 per year or $16 per hour. Security guard supervisor salaries range between $24,000 and $42,000 per year.

Average security guard supervisor salary
$32,465 Yearly
$15.61 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do security guard supervisors rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

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1 star

Security guard supervisor reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Pros

Meeting a lot of different people have helped people in this job

Cons

The pay is not worth what you have to do sometimes


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2021
Pros

Protecting people and the property where I’m sign at.

Cons

There’s nothing about the officer that I don’t like


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

Yes because is a job that deal with helping people that your help and there's a wonderful happiness while working properly and helping people at the sometime.

Cons

One sometimes people will not like you but they need a help from you but to me a don't call it anything now because I know the status of the job even in a building I have work in that area as a security guard department with my license from United Arab Emirates.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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