Security Guard job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

13

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$38,020

BLS May 2025

1. Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings. importance 4.9 of 5
2. Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates. importance 4.8 of 5
3. Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics. importance 4.8 of 5
4. Answer alarms and investigate disturbances. importance 4.7 of 5
5. Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property. importance 4.7 of 5
6. Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises. importance 4.7 of 5
7. Write reports of daily activities and irregularities, such as equipment or property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons, or unusual occurrences. importance 4.6 of 5
8. Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary. importance 4.6 of 5
9. Answer telephone calls to take messages, answer questions, and provide information during non-business hours or when switchboard is closed. importance 4.5 of 5
10. Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency, such as fire or presence of unauthorized persons. importance 4.4 of 5
11. Operate detecting devices to screen individuals and prevent passage of prohibited articles into restricted areas. importance 4.4 of 5
12. Inspect and adjust security systems, equipment, or machinery to ensure operational use and to detect evidence of tampering. importance 4.2 of 5
13. Escort or drive motor vehicle to transport individuals to specified locations or to provide personal protection. importance 3.7 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Documenting/Recording Information and Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Monitor and adjust controls that regulate building systems, such as air conditioning, furnace, or boiler.

Knowledge areas: Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Computers and Electronics and Administration and Management.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Word, McAfee. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a security guard.

Most security guards surveyed by O*NET (79%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: Security Guard
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Security Guard to guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.
- Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates.
- Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics.
- Answer alarms and investigate disturbances.
- Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property.
- Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises.
- Write reports of daily activities and irregularities, such as equipment or property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons, or unusual occurrences.
- Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, monitoring and speaking
- Working knowledge of Public Safety and Security and Customer and Personal Service
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $38,020 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $18.28. BLS estimates about 1,283,470 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of security guards to grow 0.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 156,000 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full security guard salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real security guard posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only security guard work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and monitoring); security guard interview questions turns them into practice questions.