Security Guards
Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules. May operate x-ray and metal detector equipment.
1,283,470 people do this job in the US. $38,020 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 13%
- 0%
- 87%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 2%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 13%. Today's estimate: 13%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 14 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 21% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates.Done daily by most who do it. | 15% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 11% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | Stays with people | |
| Write reports of daily activities and irregularities, such as equipment or property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons, or unusual occurrences.Done daily by most who do it. | 9% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Escort or drive motor vehicle to transport individuals to specified locations or to provide personal protection.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 9% | 50 min25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect and adjust security systems, equipment, or machinery to ensure operational use and to detect evidence of tampering.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 25 min13 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Answer alarms and investigate disturbances.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 25 min8 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 25 min8 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Operate detecting devices to screen individuals and prevent passage of prohibited articles into restricted areas.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 5% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | Stays with people | |
| Answer telephone calls to take messages, answer questions, and provide information during non-business hours or when switchboard is closed.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 8 min4 min to 17 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 25 min13 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 8 min4 min to 17 min | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers20% now, 37% by 2028
- Transit and Railroad Police10% now, 31% by 2028
- Transportation Security Screeners16% now, 16% by 2028
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers9% now, 9% by 2028
- Parking Enforcement Workers14% now, 14% by 2028
- Public Safety Telecommunicators47% now, 90% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).