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First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of security workers and security guards.
Other titles employers use
Campus Safety Chief · Public Safety Manager · Public Safety Supervisor · Security Chief · Security Director · Security Guard Supervisor · Security Lieutenant · Security Shift Supervisor
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to persuading, organizing and practical work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Monitoring
Subjects to know
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Law and Government
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Inductive Reasoning
- Deductive Reasoning
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.8 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.8 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.6 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.8 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A certificate or some college 31%
- A two-year degree 30%
- High school or less 28%
- A four-year degree 11%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Data base user interface and query software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 10,200
- Job openings each year
- 960
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 7.4%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 10,200 | 960 | 7.4% |
| Florida | 4,880 | 450 | 4.7% |
| Texas | 4,220 | 410 | 14.4% |
| Nevada | 2,470 | 240 | 9.3% |
| Illinois | 2,240 | 200 | −2.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,020 | 180 | −3.8% |
| New Jersey | 1,910 | 170 | −5.0% |
| Georgia | 1,860 | 180 | 7.5% |
| Tennessee | 1,690 | 160 | 5.0% |
| North Carolina | 1,670 | 150 | 2.5% |
| Maryland | 1,660 | 150 | — |
| Virginia | 1,640 | 150 | — |
| Michigan | 1,530 | 130 | −7.8% |
| Arizona | 1,420 | 130 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 1,250 | 110 | −6.0% |
| Puerto Rico | 1,160 | 110 | 5.5% |
| Minnesota | 1,040 | 90 | 1.0% |
| Missouri | 1,010 | 90 | 1.0% |
| Oklahoma | 1,000 | 90 | −2.9% |
| Colorado | 980 | 90 | 5.4% |
| South Carolina | 820 | 80 | 6.5% |
| Wisconsin | 810 | 70 | — |
| Indiana | 770 | 70 | −3.8% |
| Kentucky | 740 | 70 | — |
| Alabama | 710 | 60 | −1.4% |
| District of Columbia | 580 | 50 | — |
| Massachusetts | 570 | 50 | — |
| New Mexico | 560 | 50 | 5.7% |
| Louisiana | 550 | 50 | −3.5% |
| Connecticut | 520 | 50 | — |
| Mississippi | 500 | 40 | −5.7% |
| Oregon | 500 | 50 | 8.7% |
| Arkansas | 450 | 40 | — |
| Iowa | 450 | 40 | −2.2% |
| Utah | 450 | 40 | 7.1% |
| Kansas | 400 | 40 | −4.8% |
| Delaware | 340 | 30 | −2.9% |
| West Virginia | 300 | 30 | 7.1% |
| Nebraska | 180 | 20 | — |
| Rhode Island | 160 | 10 | — |
| Maine | 130 | 10 | −7.1% |
| Montana | 130 | 10 | — |
| New Hampshire | 130 | 10 | — |
| North Dakota | 100 | 10 | — |
| Vermont | 90 | 10 | 12.5% |
| Wyoming | 90 | 10 | 12.5% |
| South Dakota | 80 | 10 | — |
| Alaska | 30 | 0 | — |
| Virgin Islands | 20 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Degrees each year
- 1,572
- Admit rate
- 57%
- Annual cost after aid
- $7,000
Sam Houston State University
- Degrees each year
- 922
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Southern New Hampshire University
- Degrees each year
- 895
- Admit rate
- 96%
- Annual cost after aid
- $37,000
Florida State University
- Degrees each year
- 599
- Admit rate
- 25%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Liberty University
- Degrees each year
- 586
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
Florida International University
- Degrees each year
- 598
- Admit rate
- 59%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
California State University-Sacramento
- Degrees each year
- 539
- Admit rate
- 94%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
University of Central Florida
- Degrees each year
- 531
- Admit rate
- 40%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Compare every college offering criminal justice and corrections