An official website of Washington State government
Security Guards
Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules. May operate x-ray and metal detector equipment.
What a security guard does
Become a security guard
If you enjoy doing these activities, you might make a good security guard
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
- Understanding people's reactions.
Discover what you could earn in Washington
- Average hourly rate is $29 per hour with an average salary of $43,800 per year.
- Half of workers earn between $21 and $29 per hour.
- Half of workers earn an annual salary between $6,200 and $45,900 per year.
- 41% of individuals in this occupation have been employed in every quarter of the past year.
Part-time
- The average hourly rate for part-time workers is $28 per hour with an average salary of $25,100 per year.
Security Guard job outlook
- There are 22,535 workers in this occupation in Washington.
- There are 4,835 openings per year in this occupation in Washington.
Multiple Jobs
- 8% of individuals in this occupation worked for more than one employer.
- 29% of individuals in this occupation held a position in another.