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Surveillance agent hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring surveillance agents in the United States:
Here's a step-by-step surveillance agent hiring guide:
A Surveillance Agent provides security services to thwart off theft, fraud, and other criminal activities. They are in charge of monitoring surveillance cameras to detect suspicious behaviors, patrolling areas, enforcing security protocols such as inspections and identification checks, responding to distress, and investigating incidents. They must also understand the company's security needs, identify vulnerable security areas, and develop strategies to strengthen the security in the establishment. Surveillance Agents must maintain an active communication line with managers and other agents for an efficient workflow.
Before you post your surveillance agent job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a surveillance agent for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.
You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a surveillance agent to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a surveillance agent that fits the bill.
Here's a comparison of surveillance agent salaries for various roles:
| Type of Surveillance Agent | Description | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Surveillance Agent | Security guards and gaming surveillance officers patrol and protect property against theft, vandalism, terrorism, and illegal activity. | $10-22 |
| Observer | An observer is responsible for supporting patients' conditions under the health personnel's supervision, ensuring that the medical operations comply with the institution's policies and procedures. Observers must have excellent communication and organization skills, responding to the patients' inquiries and concerns, and performing administrative tasks as required by the management... Show more | $12-28 |
| Agent | Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors... Show more | $9-34 |
Including a salary range in your surveillance agent job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A surveillance agent salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.
For example, the average salary for a surveillance agent in Louisiana may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level surveillance agent usually earns less than a senior-level surveillance agent. Additionally, a surveillance agent with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $41,683 | $20 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $40,935 | $20 |
| 3 | Maine | $37,846 | $18 |
| 4 | Colorado | $35,366 | $17 |
| 5 | Indiana | $34,719 | $17 |
| 6 | Ohio | $34,704 | $17 |
| 7 | Kansas | $34,667 | $17 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $33,555 | $16 |
| 9 | Nevada | $32,808 | $16 |
| 10 | Illinois | $32,538 | $16 |
| 11 | Virginia | $31,147 | $15 |
| 12 | Iowa | $31,081 | $15 |
| 13 | Missouri | $30,819 | $15 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $27,928 | $13 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $27,561 | $13 |
| 16 | Florida | $26,596 | $13 |
| 17 | Texas | $26,340 | $13 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $24,537 | $12 |
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fantasy Springs Resort Casino | $45,946 | $22.09 | |
| 2 | Spirit Mountain Casino | $43,969 | $21.14 | |
| 3 | Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs | $43,466 | $20.90 | 20 |
| 4 | Prairie Meadows | $42,723 | $20.54 | 4 |
| 5 | Yaamava' Resort & Casino | $42,438 | $20.40 | |
| 6 | Soboba Casino Resort | $42,140 | $20.26 | 4 |
| 7 | Sandia Resort & Casino | $41,747 | $20.07 | |
| 8 | del Lago Resort & Casino | $40,711 | $19.57 | |
| 9 | Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort | $40,512 | $19.48 | 1 |
| 10 | Diamond Jo Casino | $40,057 | $19.26 | 5 |
| 11 | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City | $39,415 | $18.95 | 1 |
| 12 | Penn National Gaming | $39,187 | $18.84 | |
| 13 | Tropicana Casinos | $37,628 | $18.09 | |
| 14 | Xator | $34,860 | $16.76 | |
| 15 | Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady | $34,275 | $16.48 | 10 |
| 16 | Wildwood Limited | $33,553 | $16.13 | |
| 17 | Affinity Gaming Finance Corp | $33,553 | $16.13 | 10 |
| 18 | Remote | $33,499 | $16.11 | 3 |
| 19 | Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians | $33,482 | $16.10 | |
| 20 | Smart Security Systems | $33,477 | $16.09 |
A surveillance agent job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a surveillance agent job description:
To find the right surveillance agent for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:
Recruiting surveillance agents requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Once you've decided on a perfect surveillance agent candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.
It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.
To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.
Hiring a surveillance agent comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting surveillance agents involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of surveillance agent recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.
You can expect to pay around $32,488 per year for a surveillance agent, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for surveillance agents in the US typically range between $10 and $22 an hour.