Protective Service
Security Guards
SOC 33-9032
Watch over property and people and respond to problems.
The job
Median pay
$38k
$35k to $46k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Stable
+0.9% projected
Openings a year
156k
BLS projection
Typical education
High school
Our model
AI displacement risk
Low
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
21/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
22nd pct
More exposed than 22% of occupations · modeled estimate · 48th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
52/100
Key skills
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 199,480 | 11.0 | 1.3× | $43k |
| New York | 134,700 | 13.9 | 1.7× | $44k |
| Texas | 106,210 | 7.5 | 0.9× | $36k |
| Florida | 95,370 | 9.6 | 1.2× | $36k |
| Illinois | 53,830 | 8.8 | 1.1× | $39k |
| Pennsylvania | 43,610 | 7.2 | 0.9× | $37k |
| New Jersey | 41,540 | 9.7 | 1.2× | $39k |
| Georgia | 36,210 | 7.4 | 0.9× | $35k |
| Virginia | 34,870 | 8.5 | 1.0× | $44k |
| Ohio | 34,450 | 6.2 | 0.8× | $36k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 29,830 | 6.0 | 0.7× | $35k |
| Arizona | 29,820 | 9.2 | 1.1× | $38k |
| Tennessee | 27,690 | 8.4 | 1.0× | $36k |
| Maryland | 27,670 | 10.0 | 1.2× | $38k |
| Nevada | 26,680 | 17.2 | 2.1× | $37k |
| Washington | 25,800 | 7.3 | 0.9× | $47k |
| Michigan | 25,240 | 5.7 | 0.7× | $37k |
| Massachusetts | 23,930 | 6.6 | 0.8× | $45k |
| Indiana | 19,930 | 6.2 | 0.8× | $36k |
| Missouri | 18,630 | 6.3 | 0.8× | $40k |
| Louisiana | 17,210 | 8.9 | 1.1× | $32k |
| Colorado | 16,890 | 5.9 | 0.7× | $45k |
| South Carolina | 16,610 | 7.2 | 0.9× | $35k |
| Washington DC | 15,880 | 22.6 | 2.7× | $64k |
| Alabama | 15,210 | 7.2 | 0.9× | $34k |
| Minnesota | 14,440 | 4.9 | 0.6× | $43k |
| Kentucky | 13,580 | 6.8 | 0.8× | $35k |
| Oklahoma | 12,210 | 7.2 | 0.9× | $36k |
| Oregon | 12,200 | 6.2 | 0.8× | $46k |
| Connecticut | 12,100 | 7.1 | 0.9× | $40k |
| Wisconsin | 12,030 | 4.1 | 0.5× | $37k |
| Hawaii | 10,160 | 16.2 | 2.0× | $43k |
| Mississippi | 10,160 | 8.7 | 1.1× | $29k |
| New Mexico | 8,410 | 9.7 | 1.2× | $43k |
| Utah | 7,310 | 4.2 | 0.5× | $43k |
| Kansas | 7,150 | 5.0 | 0.6× | $37k |
| Iowa | 6,890 | 4.4 | 0.5× | $37k |
| Arkansas | 6,390 | 4.9 | 0.6× | $36k |
| West Virginia | 5,200 | 7.4 | 0.9× | $29k |
| Nebraska | 4,700 | 4.6 | 0.6× | $40k |
| Idaho | 3,750 | 4.4 | 0.5× | $38k |
| Delaware | 3,430 | 7.1 | 0.9× | $36k |
| Rhode Island | 3,160 | 6.3 | 0.8× | $37k |
| New Hampshire | 2,450 | 3.6 | 0.4× | $45k |
| Alaska | 2,100 | 6.5 | 0.8× | $47k |
| Maine | 1,930 | 3.0 | 0.4× | $39k |
| Montana | 1,610 | 3.1 | 0.4× | $38k |
| South Dakota | 1,460 | 3.2 | 0.4× | $37k |
| North Dakota | 1,310 | 3.1 | 0.4× | $39k |
| Wyoming | 1,130 | 4.0 | 0.5× | $39k |
| Vermont | 930 | 3.1 | 0.4× | $46k |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ142,760 jobs · $44k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA83,280 jobs · $40k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN48,360 jobs · $40k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL41,530 jobs · $36k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV40,950 jobs · $47k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX34,000 jobs · $37k median
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX29,250 jobs · $35k median
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA26,830 jobs · $46k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Security Guards interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.