Security guards
SOC Code: 33-9032
Security guards carries a 31% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $38,370 and +0.4% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 1,262,100 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 31% AI exposure, Security guards sits 6 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 33% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
36/100
Security guards, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $38,370
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F +0.4%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B- 31% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Security guards in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Security guards keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Slow growth (245 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Security guards sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Security guards sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
31% Lower than most lower than 67% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Security guards vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Security guards is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Security guards's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 33-9032) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Security guards be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Security guards. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.
- 2. Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates.
- 3. Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics.
- 4. Answer alarms and investigate disturbances.
- 5. Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property.
- 6. Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises.
- 7. Write reports of daily activities and irregularities, such as equipment or property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons, or unusual occurrences.
- 8. Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary.
- 9. Answer telephone calls to take messages, answer questions, and provide information during non-business hours or when switchboard is closed.
- 10. Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency, such as fire or presence of unauthorized persons.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Reading Comprehension
- Social Perceptiveness
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Learning
- Persuasion
Knowledge Areas
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Telecommunications
- Administrative
- Law and Government
- Therapy and Counseling
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Security guards?
Security guards has an AI exposure score of 31%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Security guards?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Security guards is projected to grow by 0.4% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 1,262,100 workers.
What skills are needed for Security guards?
Key skills for Security guards include Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Security guards earn?
The median annual wage for Security guards is $38,370, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Security guards?
The typical entry-level education for Security guards is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Security guards?
Security guards roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Security guards: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (31% here).
- Animal trainers · AI exposure 31%
- Carpet installers · AI exposure 31%
- Chemical engineers · AI exposure 31%
- Chemists · AI exposure 31%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+0.4% here).
- Maids and housekeeping cleaners · growth +0.4%
- Service unit operators, oil and gas · growth +0.4%
- Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels · growth +0.5%
- Derrick operators, oil and gas · growth +0.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 14 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Security guards' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Security guards side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).