Best degree programs for Security Guards, ranked by enrollment
1 college programs and 24 schools train Security Guards. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $38,020 median wage, 1,283,470 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
1 college programs at 24 schools train security guards, graduating 497 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Security and Loss Prevention Services. The job pays a median of $38,020 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About security guards
Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules. May operate x-ray and metal detector equipment.
A security guard is a person employed by an organization or individual to protect their assets from a variety of hazards by enforcing preventative measures. These assets may include property, people, equipment, money, housing societies, etc. Guards protect them by maintaining a high-visibility presence to deter illegal and inappropriate actions. They may do that by looking for signs of crime or other hazards and taking action to minimize the damage. The actions can include warning and escorting trespassers off property, reporting incidents to clients, reporting to emergency services, and informing police or emergency medical services as appropriate.
Read more on Wikipedia →Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
1 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 43.0109 | 497 | 100.0% | 24 | $37,408 | $24,069 |
Top 24 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hillsborough College Tampa, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 79 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 34% | — | — |
| 2 | Gateway Technical College Kenosha, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 66 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 51% | — | — |
| 3 | UEI College - Fresno Fresno, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 58 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 61% | $30,005 | — |
| 4 | University of New Haven West Haven, CT Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 44 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 63% | $32,614 | 60% |
| 5 | UEI College - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 40 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 68% | $29,687 | — |
| 6 | UEI College - Ontario Ontario, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 66% | $27,167 | — |
| 7 | UEI College - Huntington Park Huntington Park, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 70% | $29,313 | — |
| 8 | UEI College - Chula Vista Chula Vista, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 22 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 71% | $28,465 | — |
| 9 | Miami Dade College Miami, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 21 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 46% | — | — |
| 10 | UEI College - Oceanside Oceanside, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 21 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 69% | $26,941 | — |
| 11 | UEI College - Garden Grove Garden Grove, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 63% | $26,221 | — |
| 12 | UEI College - Gardena Gardena, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 60% | $28,919 | — |
| 13 | UEI College - West Covina West Covina, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 67% | $27,767 | — |
| 14 | Oakton College Des Plaines, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 37% | — | — |
| 15 | William Rainey Harper College Palatine, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 48% | — | — |
| 16 | Kaskaskia College Centralia, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 49% | — | — |
| 17 | College of Lake County Grayslake, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 37% | — | — |
| 18 | Delta College University Center, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 27% | — | — |
| 19 | Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 31% | — | — |
| 20 | New England College Henniker, NH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 35% | $30,086 | 92% |
| 21 | Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 52% | — | 84% |
| 22 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 40% | — | — |
| 23 | Passaic County Community College Paterson, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 19% | — | — |
| 24 | Westmoreland County Community College Youngwood, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Security and Loss Prevention Services | 31% | — | — |
What security guards earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $43,240 | 199,480 | 1.33× | 9 | 252 |
| Floridalimited | $35,900 | 95,370 | 1.16× | 2 | 100 |
| Wisconsinlimited | $37,440 | 12,030 | 0.50× | 1 | 66 |
| Connecticutlimited | $39,920 | 12,100 | 0.86× | 1 | 44 |
| Illinoismoderate | $39,490 | 53,830 | 1.07× | 4 | 21 |
| Michiganlimited | $37,080 | 25,240 | 0.69× | 2 | 6 |
| Ohiolimited | $35,770 | 34,450 | 0.75× | 1 | 3 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $45,200 | 2,450 | 0.43× | 1 | 2 |
| Indianalimited | $36,490 | 19,930 | 0.75× | 1 | 1 |
| New Jerseylimited | $38,880 | 41,540 | 1.17× | 1 | 1 |
| Pennsylvanialimited | $37,050 | 43,610 | 0.87× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
Skills
- Active Listening3.8
- Monitoring3.4
- Speaking3.3
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Active Learning2.9
- Writing2.8
- Learning Strategies2.6
Knowledge areas
- Public Safety and Security4.7
- Customer and Personal Service4.5
- English Language4.3
- Computers and Electronics4.1
- Administration and Management4.0
- Education and Training3.8
Abilities
- Problem Sensitivity3.9
- Far Vision3.8
- Oral Comprehension3.6
- Oral Expression3.4
- Near Vision3.4
- Selective Attention3.4
Core activities
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.8
- Getting Information4.6
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.5
- Documenting/Recording Information4.5
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.5
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.4
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Security Guard
Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Security Guards1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 43.0109Security and Loss Prevention Services
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Security Guard?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Security and Loss Prevention Services, which awarded 497 degrees in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Security Guard?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Criminal Justice and Corrections. Together they graduate about 497 people a year.
How much do security guards earn?+
The median is $38,020 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $30,210 at the 10th percentile to $58,840 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for security guards growing?+
BLS projects a +0.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 161,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
24 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do security guards work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Security Agent, Security Guard, Security Officer, Safety and Security Officer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 33-9032.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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