Security Guards
Also called: Safety and Security Officer, Security Agent, Security Guard, Security OfficerGuard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules. May operate x-ray and metal detector equipment.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 4 of its 14 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 0.9% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 5.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Security guards and gambling surveillance officers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 64% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $33,720 | $28,060 to $37,420 | 15,210 |
| Alaska | $47,480 | $44,370 to $60,400 | 2,100 |
| Arizona | $38,290 | $35,670 to $44,010 | 29,820 |
| Arkansas | $35,770 | $29,750 to $41,210 | 6,390 |
| California | $43,240 | $37,180 to $46,760 | 199,480 |
| Colorado | $45,150 | $37,920 to $47,580 | 16,890 |
| Connecticut | $39,920 | $36,100 to $47,510 | 12,100 |
| Delaware | $36,360 | $36,000 to $44,450 | 3,430 |
| District of Columbia | $64,210 | $45,510 to $74,200 | 15,880 |
| Florida | $35,900 | $32,340 to $39,510 | 95,370 |
| Georgia | $34,980 | $30,920 to $39,060 | 36,210 |
| Guam | $22,090 | $19,560 to $27,780 | 800 |
| Hawaii | $42,820 | $37,140 to $46,160 | 10,160 |
| Idaho | $38,300 | $34,430 to $45,930 | 3,750 |
| Illinois | $39,490 | $37,060 to $46,360 | 53,830 |
| Indiana | $36,490 | $31,240 to $44,440 | 19,930 |
| Iowa | $37,080 | $34,480 to $45,590 | 6,890 |
| Kansas | $37,080 | $31,930 to $44,880 | 7,150 |
| Kentucky | $35,420 | $31,440 to $40,370 | 13,580 |
| Louisiana | $32,240 | $29,430 to $38,310 | 17,210 |
| Maine | $39,100 | $34,760 to $45,360 | 1,930 |
| Maryland | $38,220 | $35,700 to $46,750 | 27,670 |
| Massachusetts | $44,670 | $37,720 to $45,760 | 23,930 |
| Michigan | $37,080 | $34,230 to $46,480 | 25,240 |
| Minnesota | $43,380 | $37,020 to $46,110 | 14,440 |
| Mississippi | $29,180 | $26,940 to $35,430 | 10,160 |
| Missouri | $40,390 | $36,040 to $48,020 | 18,630 |
| Montana | $38,480 | $35,260 to $46,300 | 1,610 |
| Nebraska | $39,840 | $37,150 to $47,400 | 4,700 |
| Nevada | $37,310 | $34,610 to $44,600 | 26,680 |
| New Hampshire | $45,200 | $38,000 to $55,360 | 2,450 |
| New Jersey | $38,880 | $34,770 to $48,120 | 41,540 |
| New Mexico | $43,320 | $35,570 to $53,530 | 8,410 |
| New York | $44,240 | $37,210 to $51,850 | 134,700 |
| North Carolina | $35,010 | $30,640 to $43,610 | 29,830 |
| North Dakota | $39,310 | $34,960 to $45,550 | 1,310 |
| Ohio | $35,770 | $31,140 to $44,500 | 34,450 |
| Oklahoma | $36,270 | $30,980 to $44,670 | 12,210 |
| Oregon | $45,500 | $39,680 to $48,420 | 12,200 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,050 | $34,570 to $44,300 | 43,610 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,840 | $21,840 to $21,840 | 26,100 |
| Rhode Island | $36,940 | $34,370 to $44,510 | 3,160 |
| South Carolina | $35,460 | $30,130 to $38,220 | 16,610 |
| South Dakota | $37,150 | $32,190 to $45,190 | 1,460 |
| Tennessee | $36,000 | $30,850 to $40,620 | 27,690 |
| Texas | $35,980 | $29,290 to $43,630 | 106,210 |
| Utah | $42,700 | $36,410 to $45,640 | 7,310 |
| Vermont | $45,550 | $38,560 to $61,730 | 930 |
| Virgin Islands | $31,990 | $23,130 to $40,460 | 1,030 |
| Virginia | $43,640 | $35,990 to $54,850 | 34,870 |
| Washington | $47,100 | $42,030 to $56,990 | 25,800 |
| West Virginia | $28,800 | $20,800 to $35,990 | 5,200 |
| Wisconsin | $37,440 | $35,030 to $46,210 | 12,030 |
| Wyoming | $39,200 | $35,530 to $48,010 | 1,130 |
Nationally: $38,020. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 4 of its 14 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises. | Not published |
| AI alone | Write reports of daily activities and irregularities, such as equipment or property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons, or unusual occurrences. | Not published |
| Not much | Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property. | Not published |
| Not much | Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency, such as fire or presence of unauthorized persons. | Not published |
| Not much | Answer alarms and investigate disturbances. | Not published |
See all 14 tasks
| AI + software | Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates. | Not published |
| AI + software | Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary. | Not published |
| AI alone | Answer telephone calls to take messages, answer questions, and provide information during non-business hours or when switchboard is closed. | Not published |
| Not much | Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Inspect and adjust security systems, equipment, or machinery to ensure operational use and to detect evidence of tampering. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate detecting devices to screen individuals and prevent passage of prohibited articles into restricted areas. | Not published |
| Not much | Escort or drive motor vehicle to transport individuals to specified locations or to provide personal protection. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor and adjust controls that regulate building systems, such as air conditioning, furnace, or boiler. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 14 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 14 tasks fall under 12 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain safety or security | |||
| Operate audiovisual or related equipment | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Monitor safety or security of work areas, facilities, or properties | |||
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Investigate criminal or legal matters | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities |
Show all 12 activities
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Intervene in crisis situations or emergencies | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Administer emergency medical treatment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation70%
- A document or report11%
- An email or message8%
- A plan or strategy3%
- A resume or job application3%
How they worked with Claude
27% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for security guards specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 343,415 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
- 2 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers High +3.5% 4%
- 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
- 5 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 2%
Where people moved in from
of 361,566 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 3 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
- 4 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers High +3.5% 3%
- 5 Cashiers High -6.5% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 79% high school
- 4% postsecondary certificate
- 10% some college
- 5% associate's
- 2% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 17 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 7% less than high school
- 39% high school
- 28% some college
- 11% associate's
- 12% bachelor's
- 3% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Security guards and gambling surveillance officers” · 9,044 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Security guards and gambling surveillance officers”
1 program: Security and Loss Prevention Services.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
85.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 58.2% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 16.1% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | 1.1% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 3 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (GUARD, SECURITY; GUARD, SECURITY OFFICER; GUARD, SECURITY OFFICER (Existing Title: Security Guard)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Security Guards” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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