Being a security guard is something to be proud of.  A security guard protects people, and the job can be challenging and even dangerous.  Guards have to be licensed, and there are certain safety measures and skills that they have to learn.  Security guards can save lives, stop terrorism, and make entire neighborhoods feel more comfortable.  Under the right circumstances, security can make a good career. There can be opportunities for increased rankings and advancements, and security guards may go on to start their own contracted security companies

Field, Owen

English

DigitalCommons@ILR

Cornell University ILR School 
DigitalCommons@ILR 
Buffalo Commons Centers, Institutes, Programs 
4-19-2010 
Working as a Security Guard in Western New York 
Owen Field 
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Working as a Security Guard in Western New York 
Abstract 
Being a security guard is something to be proud of. A security guard protects people, and the job can be 
challenging and even dangerous. Guards have to be licensed, and there are certain safety measures and 
skills that they have to learn. Security guards can save lives, stop terrorism, and make entire 
neighborhoods feel more comfortable. Under the right circumstances, security can make a good career. 
There can be opportunities for increased rankings and advancements, and security guards may go on to 
start their own contracted security companies. 
Keywords 
Buffalo, Poverty/Low Wage Work/Income Inequality, Low Wage Work, Fact Sheet, PPG, PDF 
This article is available at DigitalCommons@ILR: https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/buffalocommons/107 
     
 
 
 
 
FACT SHEET                                                                          April 19, 2010 
Working as a Security Guard in Western New York 
Owen Field 
 
 
Introduction 
Being a security guard is something to 
be proud of.  A security guard protects 
people, and the job can be challenging 
and even dangerous. Guards have to 
be licensed, and there are certain 
safety measures and skills that they 
have to learn.  Security guards can 
save lives, stop terrorism, and make 
entire neighborhoods feel more 
comfortable.  Under the right 
circumstances, security can make a 
good career. There can be 
opportunities for increased rankings 
and advancements, and security guards 
may go on to start their own 
contracted security companies. 
What seems incongruous, however, 
are the low wages that security guards 
are often paid despite the importance of their jobs.  Too many jobs in the 
field pay wages below a living wage and offer no opportunity for 
advancement.  
 
Who is Jeff? 
Jeff is a hospital public safety officer for the Erie County Medical Center.  
His position is now part of public safety, but his job used to be part of a 
security department. His experience gives him valuable insight on the 
differences between both situations. Jeff has a wife and a baby on the 
way.
i
 
Jeff is not a complainer. Throughout our interview he alluded to several 
challenges he faces in his line of work but recognizes he is “happy just to 
be employed.” 
 
 
2 
 
What does a security guard do? 
According to the Standard Occupational Classification System, the duties 
of a security guard include to guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent 
theft, violence, or infractions of rules.  The term actually covers a wide 
range of possible occupations varying in required training, wages, 
opportunity for advancement, and risk.  Security guards could be in-house, 
hired directly by private companies or developments, or they could work 
for security companies that contract out to other private companies.  
Security guards can be para-police, hired for different reasons to assist the 
police such as through investigation.  They can be hired by government 
agencies to protect agency properties such as hospitals or social service 
departments.   
Security guards may stand on their feet all day long, or patrol around on 
foot or in cars.  They may stare at a monitoring television or make sure 
people do not cheat at a casino.  They often have to interview witnesses 
and testify in court.  They write extensive reports about their shifts and the 
related happenings.
ii
   
According to Jeff, in the scope of his job he 
“inspects buildings and grounds for potential 
fire hazards, conducts searches of the facilities 
when threatening situations occur, such as bomb 
threats, amber alerts and absconding psych 
patients.” These are important life saving tasks.   
During the years following the attacks of 9/11, 
the Congressional Research Service recognized the importance of security 
guards in critical areas and identified that it is possible that the low wages 
and high turnover of security guards was a potential source of weakness in 
the field.
iii
 
 
What kinds of risks do security guards really face? 
The rate of fatal injuries to security guards in 2007 was 9.4 out of 100,000 
workers.
 iv
  Although this may seem like a small percentage, it is more 
than twice the rate of 3.8 out of 100,000 fatal injuries for all workers. 
What is worse, 51% of these fatalities were a result of homicides. 
Interestingly, nonfatal injuries for which days of work were missed 
occurred for 107.8 in 10,000 security guards in 2007, which is less than 
the 122 out of 10,000 rate for all workers.  Maybe this is due to the 
stationary nature of guards’ work, or maybe it is related to an increased 
resolve and seriousness towards their work.  The good news is that 
conditions are improving; fatalities in the field declined 23% in 2008.
v
  
Jeff, soon to be a family man, has become increasingly aware of these 
risks. “I will probably think more conscientiously about my safety as I 
perform my job.” 
 
3 
 
How much do security guards make?  
Wages will depend heavily on the type of security guard you are and who 
you work for.  You also will make significantly more as an armed security 
guard because of the higher level of training required and increased 
dangers.   
For a security guard, the mean hourly wage nationally is $12.42 ($25,840 
a year).  The median nationally is $11.28/hour ($23,460/year) with the 
bottom 25% making less than $9.21/hour (less than $19,150/year).
vi
   
In New York State these numbers rise slightly to a mean of $13.58/hour 
($28,250/year).  In New York state, security guards represent 1.161% of 
the state’s employment.vii  
In western New York the mean hourly wage is lower than what it is for the 
state and the country at $11.54/hour ($24,000/year). That means that 25% 
of the field are receiving less than $8.37/hour ($17,410/year) and 10% 
receive less than $7.60/hour ($15,8000/year).  Security guards represent 
3580 people in the local workforce.
 viii
 
Jeff confirms that “NYS Security and Armed Security Officers are way 
under paid in my opinion.”  The change to from security to public safety 
that his department went through meant an improvement on wages, 
though. “Once you obtain a NYS Peace Officer or Police Officer status, 
the pay considerably increases.” The private security guard industry is a 
highly cost competitive business.
ix
 
 
What does it take to be 
a security guard? 
In New York State, in order 
to be a security guard you 
must acquire a security 
guard license according to 
the Security Guard Act of 
1992.  The training is not too 
extensive.   
 
Below is an example of the 
different training courses 
offered at Buffalo Security 
& Investigation, a private 
security company that also offers the New York State training.   
Classes offered: 
8 hour Pre-Assignment- $55.00 
16 hour On-the-Job Training- $90.00 
47 hour Firearms Training- $425.00 
8 hour Annual In-Service- $55.00 
8 hour Annual Firearm Training- $100.00
x
 
4 
 
 
In most places in order to be a security guard you cannot have committed 
a serious crime.
xi
 For information on New York Licensing requirements 
see http://www.labor.state.ny.us/stats/olcny/secuguard.shtm.  As of 
August 11, 2008, there were 139,990 active licenses outstanding for this 
occupation.
xii
  
 
Jeff believes this training should be increased. “Training, training and 
more training is the most important thing we need in this field.”  
 
Do security guards have an incentive to perform well? 
According to Jeff, “From a department standpoint, I don't think my fellow 
officers have an incentive to perform above their duties.” Jeff instead turns 
to his religion as a source of motivation to do the best job he can “But for 
me, my incentive is to glorify God while performing my job.” 
 
Are there opportunities for advancement? 
Because of the flexible hours and easy training requirements, the job 
attracts many people looking for a second job or part time work.
 xiii
 In 
2008, about 16 percent of security guards and gaming surveillance officers 
worked part time. 
The good news is that security guards are 
in a growing industry; needs have been 
increasing, and more people are choosing 
to rely on security guards as opposed to 
traditional police.
xiv
 
In some cases, particularly at larger 
organizations, guards may become 
supervisors or managers.  In a few cases, 
guards become owners of their own 
contract security agencies.
xv
  
On the other hand, advancements often do 
not reap significant financial rewards. 
Only 10% make at least $16.80/hour 
($34,980/year) or more in Buffalo.
xvi
  That 
does not provide much incentive to “reach the top” if you are a security 
guard in Buffalo.   
When asked if there were sufficient opportunities for advancement for 
security guards Jeff replied “No. There is presently one type of 
advancement and that is possibly becoming a Supervisor.”  He said that 
the change in the department to public safety did make things a little 
better. “There are a few other law enforcement agencies that we could 
laterally transfer over to. Other than that, that’s about it.” 
 
 
5 
 
What needs to improve for security guards? 
Even though training is not extensive, security guards play important 
roles, and mistakes on the field can have grave consequences including 
theft, vandalism, or injury.  Companies should not be able to underpay 
security guards just because they do not have representation.  Jeff said that 
a needed change is “being paid fair for the sacrifices we are willing to 
make when performing our job.”  Jeff says that the worst part of his job is 
“being spit on by a prisoner or patient during an altercation [and] getting 
no respect for what we do.”  
 
A related issue for security guards is the increasing frequency with 
which companies contract out security instead of hiring their own 
people. Although this practice may improve a company’s income 
statement, it is worsening conditions for security guards since staff 
guards are paid 25% more than contracted guards.
xvii
 
Around 35.6% of the protective services field is unionized
xviii
, but the 
expansion of these unions could be the key to getting better wages   Jeff is 
fortunate to be part of the AFSCME Union, Local 1095. “The union fights 
for our health benefits, pay raises, retirement funds and job security.” 
There has been movement on this front in New York City where the SEIU 
(Service Employee’s International Union), “Local 32BJ” believes security 
guards should earn $2.10/hour more and get paid a minimum of $14.35 an 
hour instead of earning as little a eight or nine dollars an hour.
 xix
 
Local 32BJ also wants to make it so security guards can make as much as 
$19.02 an hour.  The union Local 32BJ president Michael Fishman 
believes, “we must transform dead-end security jobs into careers that can 
support working families,”xx  Local 32BJ has also done a lot of work in 
the DC area, where the union now represents over 10,000 security guards 
in the area who earn at least $12.40 an hour.
xxi
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6 
 
                                               
i Personal Communications on 3/28/2010 
ii
 Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition. Child 
Care Workers. Retrieved on March 23, 2010 from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos170.htm 
iii
Parfomak, Paul W., “Guarding America: Security Guards and U.S. Critical 
Infrastructure Protection,” November, 2004. Library of Congress. Retrieved on March 
30, 2010 from  http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/RL32670.pdf p 17. 
 
iv Bureau of Labor Statistics. Security Guard Fact Sheet, Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities. 
Retrieved on March 23, 2010 from http://www.docstoc.com/docs/7960521/Security-
Guards-Fact-Sheet-on-Injuries-Illnesses-and-Fatalities.   
v
 “Fatal Work Injuries Dropped 10% in 2008; Down 20% in Construction.”  Insurance 
Journal, August 20, 2009. Retrieved on March 30th from 
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2009/08/20/103185.htm.  
vi Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2008.” 
Retrieved on March 23 from http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes339032.htm.  
vii id  
viii
 id. see downloadable excel sheet 
ix http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/RL32670.pdf at p18 
x http://www.bflosecurity.com/security-guard-training/ 
xi http://www.labor.state.ny.us/stats/olcny/secuguard.shtm 
xii Id  
xiii Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition. 
Child Care Workers. Retrieved on March 23, 2010 from 
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos170.htm 
xiv http://www.labor.state.ny.us/stats/lswage2.asp 
xv  id 
xvi http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes339032.htm 
xvii http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/RL32670.pdf  
xviii http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm  
xix Greenhouse, Steven. “Office Security Guards Reach Union Accord.” NY Times, June 
25, 2008. Retrieved on March 23, 2010 from  
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/office-security-guards-reach-union-accord 
xx Id. 
xxi “Security Guards Get Union Contract” Washington Post, April 14, 2008. Downloaded 
at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2008/04/13/AR2008041301764.html 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Partnership for the Public Good 
237 Main St., Suite 1200, Buffalo NY 14203 
www.ppgbuffalo.org 
 
 


Working as a Security Guard in Western New York

Being a security guard is something to be proud of.  A security guard protects people, and the job can be challenging and even dangerous.  Guards have to be licensed, and there are certain safety measures and skills that they have to learn.  Security guards can save lives, stop terrorism, and make entire neighborhoods feel more comfortable.  Under the right circumstances, security can make a good career. There can be opportunities for increased rankings and advancements, and security guards may go on to start their own contracted security companies.PovertyLowWageWorkIncomeInequality__Security_Guards.pdf: 28 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

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