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Job Report Guards
Nature of the Work
Guards patrol and inspect property to protect against fire, theft, vandalism, and illegal
entry. Their duties vary with the size, type, and location of their employer.
In office buildings, banks, hospitals, and department stores, guards protect records,
merchandise, money, and equipment. In department stores, they often work with
undercover detectives watching for theft by customers or store employees.
At ports, airports, and railroads, guards protect merchandise being shipped as well
as property and equipment. They insure that nothing is stolen while being loaded or
unloaded, and watch for fires, prowlers, and trouble among work crews. Sometimes they
direct traffic.
Guards who work in public buildings, such as museums or art galleries, protect
paintings and exhibits. They also answer routine questions from visitors and sometimes
guide traffic.
In factories, laboratories, government buildings, data processing centers, and military
bases where valuable property or information must be protected, guards check the
credentials of persons and vehicles entering and leaving the premises. University, park,
or recreation guards perform similar duties and also may issue parking permits and direct
traffic.
At social affairs, sports events, conventions, and other public gatherings, guards
maintain order, give information, and watch for persons who may cause trouble.
In a large organization, a security officer often is in charge of the guard force; in a
small organization, a single worker may be responsible for security. Patrolling usually is
done on foot, but if the property is large, guards may make their rounds by car or motor
scooter.
As they make their rounds, guards check all doors and windows, see that no
unauthorized persons remain after working hours, and insure that fire extinguishers, alarms,
sprinkler systems, furnaces, and various electrical and plumbing systems are working
properly. They sometimes set thermostats or turn on lights for janitorial workers.
Guards usually are uniformed and often carry a nightstick and gun. They also may
carry a flashlight, whistle, two-way radio, and a watch clock--a device that indicates the time
at which they reach various checkpoints.
Working Conditions
Guards work indoors and outdoors patrolling buildings, industrial plants, and
grounds. Indoors, they may be stationed at a guard desk to monitor electronic security and
surveillance devices or check the credentials of persons entering or leaving the premises.
They also may be stationed at gate shelters or may patrol grounds in all weather. Since
guards often work alone, no one is nearby to help if an accident or injury occurs. Some
large firms, therefore, use a reporting service that enables guards to be in constant contact
with a central station outside the plant. If they fail to transmit an expected signal, the central
station investigates. Guard work is usually routine, but guards must be constantly alert for
threats to themselves and to the property that they are protecting. Guards who work during
the day may have a great deal of contact with other employees and members of the public.
Many guards work alone at night; the usual shift lasts 8 hours. Some employers
have three shifts where guards rotate to divide daytime, weekend, and holiday work equally.
Guards usually eat on the job instead of taking a regular break.
Employment
Guards held about 810,000 jobs in 1990. Industrial security firms and guard
agencies employed about one-half of all guards. These organizations provide security
services on contract, assigning their guards to buildings and other sites as needed. The
other half were in-house guards, employed in large numbers by banks; building
management companies; hotels; hospitals; retail stores; restaurants and bars; schools,
colleges, and universities; and Federal, State, and local governments.
Although guard jobs are found throughout the country, most are located in
metropolitan areas.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
Most employers prefer guards who are high school graduates. Applicants with less
than a high school education also can qualify if they pass reading and writing tests and
demonstrate competence in following written and oral instructions. Some jobs require a
driver's permit. Employers also seek people who have had experience in the military police
or in State and local police departments. Most persons who enter guard jobs have prior
work experience, although it is usually unrelated. Because of limited formal training
requirements and flexible hours, this occupation attracts many persons seeking a second
job. For some entrants, retired from military careers or other protective services, guard
employment is a second career.
Applicants are expected to have good character references, no police record, good
health--especially in hearing and vision--and good personal habits such as neatness and
dependability. They should be mentally alert and emotionally stable. Guards must be
physically fit to cope with emergencies.
Candidates for guard jobs in the Federal Government must have some experience
as a guard and pass a written examination. Armed Forces experience also is an asset. For
most Federal guard positions, applicants must qualify in the use of firearms.
The amount of training guards receive varies. Training requirements generally are
increasing as modern, highly sophisticated security systems become more commonplace.
Many employers give newly hired guards instruction before they start the job and also
provide several weeks of on-the-job training. Guards at nuclear power plants may undergo
several months of training before being placed on duty under close supervision. Guards
may be taught to use firearms, to administer first aid, to operate alarm systems and
electronic security equipment, and to spot and deal with security problems. Guards who
are authorized to carry firearms may be periodically tested in their use according to State
or local laws. Some guards are periodically tested for strength and endurance.
Although guards in small companies receive periodic salary increases, advancement
is likely to be limited. However, most large organizations use a military type of ranking that
offers advancement in position and salary. Guard experience enables some persons to
transfer to police jobs that offer higher pay and greater opportunities for advancement.
Guards with some college education may advance to jobs that involve administrative duties
or the prevention of espionage and sabotage. A few guards with management skills open
their own contract security guard agencies.
Job Outlook
Job openings for persons seeking work as guards are expected to be plentiful
through the year 2000. High turnover in this large occupation makes it rank among those
providing the greatest number of job openings in the entire economy. Many opportunities
are expected for persons seeking full-time employment, as well as for those seeking part-
time or seconds jobs at night or on weekends. However, competition is expected for in-
house guard positions. Compared to contract security guards, in-house guards enjoy
higher earnings and benefits, greater job security, and more advancement potential, and
are usually given more training and responsibility.
Employment of guards is expected to grow much faster than the average for all
occupations through the year 2000. Increased concern about crime, vandalism and
terrorism will heighten the need for security in and around plants, stores, offices, and
recreation areas. The level of business investment in increasingly expensive plant and
equipment is expected to rise, resulting in growth in the number of guard jobs. Demand for
guards will also grow as private security firms increasingly perform duties--such as
monitoring crowds at airports and providing security in courts--formerly handled by
government police officers and marshals.
Guards employed by industrial security and guard agencies occasionally are laid off
when the firm where they work for does not renew its contract with their agency. Most are
able to find employment with other agencies, however. Guards employed directly by the
firm at which they work are seldom laid off because a plant or factory must still be protected
even when economic conditions force it to close temporarily.
Earnings
Guards working in 23 urban areas averaged an estimated $6.05 an hour in 1990.
Those working in the Midwestern States earned more than the average, while guards
employed in the South earned somewhat less. Hourly wages of guards were estimated to
average $10.95 in manufacturing; $11.95 in public utilities; $8.30 in banking, finance,
insurance, and real estate; $8.65 in wholesale trade; $6.85 in retail trade; and $5.34 in the
various service industries, including security and guard agencies. Guards with specialized
training or some supervisory responsibilities averaged $8.98 an hour, while those with less
training and responsibility averaged $6.15 an hour. Guards employed by industrial security
and guard agencies generally started at or slightly above the minimum wage, $4.05 an hour
rising to $4.50 an hour on April 1, 1991. However, employers can pay workers under age
20 a lower training wage for up to 6 months.
Unionized in-house guards tend to earn more than the average. Many guards are
represented by the United Plant Guard Workers Of America. Other guards belong to the
International Union of Guards or the International Union of Security Officers.
Related Occupations
Guards protect property, maintain security, and enforce regulations for entry and conduct
in the establishments at which they work. Related security and protective service
occupations include: Bailiffs, border guards, correction officers, deputy sheriffs, fish and
game wardens, house or store detectives, police officers, and private investigators.
Sources of Additional Information
Further information about work opportunities for guards is available from local employers
and the nearest State employment service office.
Information about Federal Government contract guard job requirements is included
in Contract Guard Information Manual, Publication No. 1984-438-028:18101, and may be
purchased from the U.S. government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.
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