Security Guards
What they do
Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules. May operate x-ray and metal detector equipment.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About security guards
Other titles
Campus Security Officer, Custom Protection Officer, Customer Service Security Officer, Hotel Security Officer, Loss Prevention Officer, Safety and Security Officer, Security Agent, Security Guard, Security Officer
Tasks they perform
- Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.
- Answer alarms and investigate disturbances.
- Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises.
Skills they need
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
- License Type
- Stand-alone license
- Status
- Active
- Exam
- No exam required
- Education
- No educational requirements
- Continuing education
- No continuing education requirement to maintain license
- Criminal record
- Background check required
- License Type
- Stand-alone license
- Status
- Active
- Exam
- No exam required
- Education
- No educational requirements
- Continuing education
- No continuing education requirement to maintain license
- Criminal record
- Background check required
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
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Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
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Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
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Additional career information and resources
Learn more about security guards with these helpful sites.