Security Supervisor job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

O*NET-SOC 33-1091.00

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

$55,940

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers (O*NET-SOC 33-1091.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Security Supervisor” in its Sample of Reported Titles (the titles job holders report) for this occupation only (also listed from O*NET job-incumbent data and the U.S. Employment and Training Administration). 2 other occupations carry it only as an alternate title (from the U.S. Employment and Training Administration), never as a reported title or a SOC Index title. Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Investigate disturbances on the premises, such as security alarms, altercations, and suspicious activity. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Patrol the premises to prevent or detect intrusion, protect property, or preserve order. importance 4.7 of 5
3. Monitor and authorize entry of employees, visitors, or other persons. importance 4.7 of 5
4. Secure entrances and exits by locking doors and gates. importance 4.6 of 5
5. Write reports documenting observations made while on patrol. importance 4.6 of 5
6. Monitor the behavior of security employees to ensure adherence to quality standards, deadlines, or procedures. importance 4.6 of 5
7. Advise employees in handling problems or resolving complaints from customers, tenants, detainees, or other persons. importance 4.5 of 5
8. Recruit, interview, and hire security personnel. importance 4.5 of 5
9. Assign security personnel to posts or patrols. importance 4.5 of 5
10. Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency, such as fire, bomb threats, and presence of unauthorized persons. importance 4.4 of 5
11. Apprehend or evict trespassers, rule violators, or other security threats from the premises. importance 4.4 of 5
12. Screen individuals and belongings to prevent passage of prohibited materials using walkthrough detectors, wands, or bag searches. importance 4.4 of 5
13. Monitor closed-circuit television cameras. importance 4.4 of 5
14. Inspect and adjust security equipment to ensure it is operational or to detect evidence of tampering. importance 4.4 of 5
15. Train security personnel on protective procedures, first aid, fire safety, and other duties. importance 4.4 of 5
16. Explain company policies and procedures to staff using oral or written communication. importance 4.3 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others and Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates.

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.

• Write and present department budgets to upper management or other stakeholders.
• Order materials or supplies, such as keys, uniforms, and badges.

Knowledge areas: Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service, Personnel and Human Resources and Law and Government.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word. 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 less than 5 years of work experience in a related occupation as typical.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training 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.

The most common answer among security supervisors surveyed by O*NET is an associate's degree (30%).

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

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Security Supervisor.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Investigate disturbances on the premises, such as security alarms, altercations, and suspicious activity.
- Patrol the premises to prevent or detect intrusion, protect property, or preserve order.
- Monitor and authorize entry of employees, visitors, or other persons.
- Secure entrances and exits by locking doors and gates.
- Write reports documenting observations made while on patrol.
- Monitor the behavior of security employees to ensure adherence to quality standards, deadlines, or procedures.
- Advise employees in handling problems or resolving complaints from customers, tenants, detainees, or other persons.
- Recruit, interview, and hire security personnel.

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 less than 5 years in a related occupation as typical; adjust to this role]
- Strength in active listening, judgment and decision making and reading comprehension
- Working knowledge of Public Safety and Security and Administration and Management
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Office software or Microsoft Access]
- [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.

For First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers, the median annual wage was $55,940 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $26.90. BLS estimates about 81,480 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers to grow 3.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,800 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real security supervisor posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Investigate disturbances on the premises, such as security alarms…”, 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 supervisor work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and judgment and decision making): a real situation, what you did and what changed.