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The differences between securities and security officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a security has an average salary of $31,836, which is higher than the $31,101 average annual salary of a security officer.
The top three skills for a security include patrol, ladders and property damage. The most important skills for a security officer are customer service, ladders, and patrol.
| Security | Security Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $31,836 | $31,101 |
| Hourly rate | $15.31 | $14.95 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 150,586 | 125,879 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A Security's main responsibility is to keep people or an establishment safe. This responsibility is carried out by constantly patrolling a designated area and monitoring the activity within the premises. Most of the tasks involved are inspecting buildings and equipment, monitoring entry and exit points, reporting irregularities, responding to customers in distress, and other surveillance activities. The security is basically an establishment's first line of defense, this is why one must have good communication skills, keen observation and judgment, and as well as presence of mind.
A security officer is responsible for maintaining the peace and safety of everyone by regularly patrolling and monitoring surveillance equipment within the assigned premises. Security officers' duties also include reporting suspicious behaviors, restricting trespassers and unauthorized personnel from entering the establishment, providing incident reports for policy violations, and adhering to the standard protocols and legal requirements set by the management. Security offers must also have excellent decision-making and critical-thinking skills and extensive knowledge of emergency drills in case any unfortunate circumstances arise.
Securities and security officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security | Security Officer | |
| Average salary | $31,836 | $31,101 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $43,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Battelle |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a security and a security officer in terms of educational background:
| Security | Security Officer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between securities' and security officers' demographics:
| Security | Security Officer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 5.7% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |