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How to become a first-line supervisors of security worker

Protective service · SOC 33-1091

$55,940US median pay, 2025
+3.7%Projected growth, 2025–35
6,800Openings per year
On the jobUsual way in

How you get in

Most people are hired and trained on the job, so school is optional. A program can still help you stand out.

  1. High school diploma or equivalent (a program is optional for this job)
  2. Less than 5 years of experience in a related job
  3. Work as a first-line supervisors of security worker

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

ProgramCodeSchools
Securities Services Administration/ManagementCIP 43.011230
Security and Loss Prevention ServicesCIP 43.010927
Homeland Security, OtherCIP 43.039914
Security Science and Technology, GeneralCIP 43.04011
Security Science and Technology, OtherCIP 43.04990

See the 70 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does it take to become a first-line supervisors of security worker?
Typically no schooling after high school, then less than 5 years of related work first. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do first-line supervisors of security workers make?
The US median is $55,940 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree to become a first-line supervisors of security worker?
No. Most people are hired and trained on the job; a program is optional.
Where can you train to become a first-line supervisors of security worker?
70 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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