Security guards and gambling surveillance officers protect property against theft, vandalism, and other illegal activity.
Security guards and gaming surveillance officers typically do the following:
Guards and officers must stay alert, watching for anything unusual. In an emergency, they are required to contact police, fire, or ambulance services. Some security guards carry firearms.
Security guards work wherever people and assets need to be protected. Responsibilities vary by employer. In offices and factories, for example, security guards protect workers and equipment and check the credentials of people and vehicles entering and leaving the premises. In retail stores, guards protect people, merchandise, money, and equipment. They may work with undercover store detectives to prevent theft by customers and employees, detain shoplifting suspects until the police arrive, and patrol parking lots.
Gambling surveillance officers work in freestanding casinos and other facilities that have designated areas for gambling, such as hotels, video gaming terminals, and riverboats. They typically work from an observation room within the gaming facility.
Security guards, also called security officers, protect property, enforce rules on the property, and deter criminal activity. Some guards are assigned a stationary position from which they monitor alarms or surveillance cameras. Other guards are assigned a patrol area where they conduct security checks.
Gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators act as security agents for casinos. Using audio and video equipment, they watch casino operations for suspicious activities, such as cheating and theft, and monitor compliance with rules, regulations, and laws. They maintain and organize recordings from security cameras, which are sometimes used as evidence in police investigations.
Gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators held about 9,500 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators were as follows:
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 55% |
| Gambling industries (except casino hotels) | 20 |
| Casino hotels | 16 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 6 |
| Spectator sports | 1 |
Security guards held about 1.1 million jobs in 2021. The largest employers of security guards were as follows:
| Investigation, guard, and armored car services | 60% |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 7 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 6 |
| Government | 4 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4 |
Security guards work in a variety of places, including industrial settings, stores, and office buildings. Gambling surveillance officers and investigators are employed in casinos and other gaming facilities only in locations where gambling is legal.
Guards may spend considerable time on their feet patrolling buildings and grounds or may sit for long periods at a single post, such as in a guardhouse at the entrance to a gated facility or community. Others may spend periods of time in a vehicle, patrolling the property and grounds.
Both security guards and gambling surveillance officers may spend much of their shift sitting at a desk or counter in a dark room, observing customers on video surveillance equipment. They may have to monitor activity on multiple screens for long periods of time without distraction.
Security guards and gambling surveillance officers usually work in shifts of about 8 hours, with rotating schedules. Night shifts are common. Most security guards and gambling surveillance officers work full time. Seasonal work may be available during the holidays and during the warmer summer months in some states.
Security guards and gambling surveillance officers typically require a high school diploma and on-the-job training. Gambling surveillance officers sometimes need experience with security and video surveillance. Most states require security guards to be licensed by the state, especially if they carry a firearm.
Security guards typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, although some jobs may not require formal educational credentials. Gambling surveillance officers also need a high school diploma or equivalent.
A bachelor's degree is not required to enter the occupation. However, some security guards and gambling surveillance officers study in degree fields such as security and protective service or social science.
Although most employers provide instruction for newly hired security guards and surveillance officers, the amount of training varies. Most security guards learn their job in a few weeks, but gambling surveillance officers and investigators may need several months. Employer-provided training typically covers emergency procedures, crime prevention, and proper communication.
Many states recommend that security guards receive about 8 hours of pre-assignment training, 8 to 16 hours of on-the-job training, and 8 hours of annual training. Instruction may include protection, public relations, report writing, deterring crises, first aid, and other specialized training related to the security guard’s assignment.
Training is more rigorous for armed guards because they require weapons training. Armed guards may be tested periodically in the use of firearms.
Gambling surveillance officers and investigators receive training in topics such as the rules of casino games, gaming regulations, identifying cheating techniques, and the proper use of video and radio equipment.
Drug testing may be required both as a condition of employment and randomly during employment.
To enter the occupation, gambling surveillance officers and investigators typically need work experience in casinos or with video monitoring technology. Candidates sometimes gain video monitoring experience by working as a security guard.
Most states require that security guards be licensed by the state in which they work. Although licensing requirements vary by state, basic qualifications for candidates are as follows:
Guards who carry weapons usually must be licensed by the appropriate government authority. Positions for armed guards have more stringent background checks and entry requirements than do those for unarmed guards. Most states require rigorous hiring and screening programs, including background, criminal record, and fingerprint checks, for armed guards.
Some states and gaming facilities require a minimum age of 21 to work in a casino.
Some jobs may also require a driver's license.
Communication skills. Security guards and surveillance officers must communicate effectively with others, even in stressful situations.
Interpersonal skills. Security guards often regularly interact with the public; in addition, they must be able to handle and deescalate confrontational situations.
Observation skills. Security guards and surveillance officers must be alert and aware of their surroundings, and be able to quickly recognize anything out of the ordinary.
Problem-solving skills. Security guards and surveillance officers must be able to quickly determine the best course of action when a dangerous situation arises.
Median annual wages, May 2021
The median annual wage for gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators was $35,450 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,970, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $56,730.
The median annual wage for security guards was $31,470 in May 2021. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $23,250, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $50,040.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | $75,490 |
| Casino hotels | 35,820 |
| Gambling industries (except casino hotels) | 34,830 |
| Spectator sports | 33,080 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 31,690 |
In May 2021, the median annual wages for security guards in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Educational services; state, local, and private | $38,930 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 37,590 |
| Government | 37,100 |
| Accommodation and food services | 30,570 |
| Investigation, guard, and armored car services | 30,570 |
Security guards and gambling surveillance officers usually work in shifts of about 8 hours, with rotating schedules. Night shifts are common.
Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31
Overall employment of security guards and gambling surveillance officers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2021 to 2031, slower than the average for all occupations.
Despite limited employment growth, about 155,900 openings for security guards and gambling surveillance officers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Security guards will continue to be needed to protect both people and property because of concerns about crime and vandalism.
States continue to legalize gambling and casinos continue to grow in number, resulting in the need for gambling surveillance officers and investigators.
Advances in remote monitoring technology, such as robots and drones, to prevent cheating may limit the employment of some security guards and gambling surveillance officers and investigators.
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | Employment by Industry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | ||||||
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program |
|||||||
Security guards and gambling surveillance officers |
33-9030 | 1,087,200 | 1,125,200 | 3 | 38,000 | Get data | |
Gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators |
33-9031 | 9,500 | 10,300 | 8 | 800 | Get data | |
Security guards |
33-9032 | 1,077,700 | 1,114,900 | 3 | 37,200 | Get data | |
For more information about security guards, visit
The International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America
For a profile highlighting selected BLS data on occupational requirements, see
Security guards (PDF)