First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

Law, Public Safety, Corrections and SecurityO*NET 33-1091.00United States

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of security workers and security guards.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $55,918
Projected change: +6.7%
Typical education: Associate degree
Employment: 81.31K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What first-line supervisors of security workers do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

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.
Monitor the behavior of security employees to ensure adherence to quality standards, deadlines, or procedures.
Write reports documenting observations made while on patrol.
Advise employees in handling problems or resolving complaints from customers, tenants, detainees, or other persons.
Assign security personnel to posts or patrols.
Recruit, interview, and hire security personnel.
Apprehend or evict trespassers, rule violators, or other security threats from the premises.
Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency, such as fire, bomb threats, and presence of unauthorized persons.
Inspect and adjust security equipment to ensure it is operational or to detect evidence of tampering.
Monitor closed-circuit television cameras.
Screen individuals and belongings to prevent passage of prohibited materials using walkthrough detectors, wands, or bag searches.
Train security personnel on protective procedures, first aid, fire safety, and other duties.
Explain company policies and procedures to staff using oral or written communication.
Develop and document security procedures, policies, or standards.
Schedule training or drills for emergencies, such as fires, bombs, and other threats.
Log items distributed to persons, such as keys and key cards.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $37,200
25th percentile: $44,964
50th percentile: $55,918
75th percentile: $71,977
90th percentile: $92,286

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $55,918 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+6.7%faster than average

202581,307 jobs

2035 projected86,775 jobs

5,468 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Associate degree: 29.8%
High school diploma or less: 27.7%
Some college: 26.1%
Bachelor's degree: 11.4%
Certificate: 5%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Access Controls
Physical Security Operations
Cyber Security
Law Enforcement
Auditing
Good Driving Record
Operations Management
Incident Response
Physical Security
Emergency Response
Security Systems
Alarm Devices
Computer Science
Security Policies
Risk Analysis
Governance
Security Requirements Analysis
Security Management
Automation
Workflow Management

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

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.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Security Supervisors2,647 postings
02Security Shift Supervisors2,452 postings
03Security Site Supervisors1,301 postings
04Security Coordinators529 postings
05Cybersecurity Leads455 postings
06Security Leads415 postings
07Armed Security Supervisors405 postings
08Lead Cybersecurity Engineers404 postings
09Security Field Supervisors389 postings
10Lead Security Officers369 postings
11Access Control Security Officers277 postings
12Security Patrol Officers271 postings
13Lead Security Engineers243 postings
14Site Supervisors224 postings
15Lead Security Technicians216 postings
16Security Operations Supervisors216 postings
17Security Shift Leads201 postings
18Field Supervisors199 postings
19Unarmed Security Officers176 postings
20Security Team Leads173 postings

Top employers

01Allied Universal4,006 postings
02Securitas1,042 postings
03GardaWorld955 postings
04Sunstates Security244 postings
05Andy Frain Services223 postings
06JPMorgan Chase198 postings
07Capital One191 postings
08Cox Automotive165 postings
09Prosegur152 postings
10Wells Fargo151 postings
11DSI Security Services141 postings
12Marksman Security Corporation127 postings
13Metro One Loss Prevention Services Group123 postings
14Accenture104 postings
15Inter-Con Security Systems102 postings
16Cleo100 postings
17United States Department of Defense100 postings
18Cherry Bekaert87 postings
19AT&T86 postings
20Cisco83 postings

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