Protective Service · Holland code ECR

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of security workers and security guards.

Also called: Security Director, Security Shift Supervisor, Security Supervisor, Shift Supervisor, Campus Safety Chief, Public Safety Manager, Public Safety Supervisor, Security Chief.

O*NET 33-1091.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $55,940; Middle half earn $45,030 to $71,950. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree; 30% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Investigate disturbances on the premises, such as security alarms, altercations, and suspicious activity.
Patrol the premises to prevent or detect intrusion, protect property, or preserve order.
Monitor and authorize entry of employees, visitors, or other persons.
Secure entrances and exits by locking doors and gates.
Write reports documenting observations made while on patrol.
Monitor the behavior of security employees to ensure adherence to quality standards, deadlines, or procedures.
Advise employees in handling problems or resolving complaints from customers, tenants, detainees, or other persons.
Recruit, interview, and hire security personnel.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Active Listening4.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.9 / 5
Speaking3.9 / 5
Critical Thinking3.9 / 5
Monitoring3.8 / 5
Writing3.6 / 5

Knowledge areas

Public Safety and Security4.9 / 5
Administration and Management4.6 / 5
Customer and Personal Service4.4 / 5
Personnel and Human Resources4.4 / 5
Law and Government4.4 / 5
English Language4.4 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic56
Investigative14
Artistic0
Social43
Enterprising83
Conventional68

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

security manager · DE Sicherheitsbeauftragte/Sicherheitsbeauftragter · FR responsable de sécurité
aviation safety officer · DE Sicherheitsbeauftragter Luftverkehr/Sicherheitsbeauftragte Luftverkehr · FR agent de sûreté aérienne/agente de sûreté aérienne
security guard · DE Fachkraft Schutz- und Sicherheit · FR agent de sécurité/agente de sécurité
bodyguard · DE Personenschützer/Personenschützerin · FR garde du corps
door supervisor · DE Türsteher/Türsteherin · FR portier physionomiste/portière physionomiste
hospitality establishment security officer · DE Sicherheitsbeauftragter des Beherbergungsbetriebs/Sicherheitsbeauftragte des Beherbergungsbetriebs · FR responsable de la sécurité en établissement hôtelier

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Police community support officers (6311)11,800 employed
Quality assurance technicians (3115)36,100 employed
Security guards and related occupations (9231)158,600 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Service and sales workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Service and sales workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€32,957
Sweden	€32,596
Netherlands	€29,198
Austria	€29,068
Germany	€27,471
Ireland	€26,978
Italy	€24,995
France	€24,971
Spain	€18,303
Portugal	€10,656
Poland	€7,579

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test