Patrol and monitor property, control access, watch for problems, and report or respond to incidents.
Buildings, events, and worksites
Shifts including nights and weekends
May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
High school / no degree
Training path: Short paid training + state license.
Most states require a guard license or card, and armed guards also need a firearm permit.
You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.
Easy to enter with quick training, and a common stepping stone toward law enforcement careers.
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Standard Occupational Classification 33-9032. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.