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The differences between security officers and lead security officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead security officer has an average salary of $43,560, which is higher than the $31,101 average annual salary of a security officer.
The top three skills for a security officer include customer service, ladders and patrol. The most important skills for a lead security officer are patrol, security procedures, and emergency situations.
| Security Officer | Lead Security Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $31,101 | $43,560 |
| Hourly rate | $14.95 | $20.94 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 125,879 | 114,945 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A lead security officer manages the members of a security team assigned to a certain shift. Lead security officers plan, organize, direct, and schedule work. They train personnel and recommend applicants for corrective action and training opportunities. It is their job to verify identification upon entry to a facility. They see to it that a secure environment for events is well-maintained. Also, they develop an execution plan and cloud strategy for the technology advisory board.
Security officers and lead security officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security Officer | Lead Security Officer | |
| Average salary | $31,101 | $43,560 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $24,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Arlington, VA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Battelle | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a security officer and a lead security officer in terms of educational background:
| Security Officer | Lead Security Officer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between security officers' and lead security officers' demographics:
| Security Officer | Lead Security Officer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% | Male, 76.2% Female, 23.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 13.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 5.5% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |