Security guards may work indoors or outdoors. In high-crime areas and industries vulnerable to theft and vandalism, there may be considerable physical danger. Guards who work in hospitals, museums, department stores, and other buildings and facilities remain on their feet for long periods of time, either standing still or walking while on patrol. Guards assigned to reception areas or security control rooms may remain at their desks for the entire shift. Much of their work is routine and may be tedious at times, yet guards must remain constantly alert during their shift. Guards who work with the public, especially at sporting events and concerts, may have to confront unruly and sometimes hostile people. Bouncers often confront intoxicated people and are frequently called upon to intervene in physical altercations.
Many companies employ security guards around the clock in three shifts, including weekends and holidays, and assign workers to these shifts on a rotating basis. The same is true for those guarding government facilities and installations. Guards with less seniority will likely have the most erratic schedules. Many security guards work alone for an entire shift, usually lasting eight hours. Lunches and other meals are often taken on the job, so that constant vigilance is maintained.
- Accountants
- Agricultural Consultants
- Air Quality Engineers
- Airport Security Personnel
- Airport Service Workers
- Armored Truck Drivers
- Auditors
- Avionics Engineers
- Avionics Technicians
- Bail Bondsmen
- Bailiffs
- Bank Examiners
- Bodyguards
- Border Patrol Agents
- Bounty Hunters
- Building Automation Systems Engineers
- Building Automation Systems Technicians
- Building Performance Diagnosticians
- Business Intelligence Analysts
- Business Managers
- Chief Information Security Officers
- Chief Restructuring Officers
- Chief Trust Officers
- Chimney Sweeps
- Corporate Climate Strategists
- Corrections Officers
- Court Interpreters and Translators
- Court Reporters
- Crime Analysts
- Criminal Lawyers
- Cryptographic Technicians
- Customer Success Managers
- Customs Officials
- Cybersecurity Architects
- Decision Scientists
- Deputy U.S. Marshals
- Detectives
- Directors of Security
- Drone Pilots
- Emergency Management Directors
- Emergency Medical Technicians
- Emergency Services Dispatchers
- Energy Consultants
- Engineers
- Environmental Consultants
- FBI Agents
- Financial Analysts
- Financial Consultants
- Financial Quantitative Analysts
- Fire Inspectors
- Fire Investigators
- Fire Protection Engineers
- Fire Safety Directors
- Fire Safety Technicians
- Firefighters
- Fish and Game Wardens
- Flight Instructors
- Forensic Experts
- Forensic Meteorologists
- Forest Fire Prevention Specialists
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators, and Analysts
- General Maintenance Mechanics
- Genetic Genealogists
- Grounds Managers
- Health Care Consultants
- Health Data Analysts
- Heating and Cooling Technicians
- Human Resources Consultants
- Hypersonics Engineers
- Hypersonics Technicians
- Indoor Environmental Health Specialists
- Information Security Analysts
- Information Technology Consultants
- Information Technology Security Consultants
- Intelligence Officers
- Internet Consultants
- Internet Marketing and Advertising Consultants
- Internet Security Specialists
- Interpreters
- Janitors and Cleaners
- Judges
- Landscapers
- Lawyers
- Learning Innovations Designers
- Legal Nurse Consultants
- Legal Operations Specialists
- Legal Secretaries
- Life Coaches
- Locksmiths
- Management Analysts and Consultants
- Market Research Analysts
- Marketing Consultants
- Military Pilots
- Military Police
- Military Recruiters
- Military Workers, Enlisted
- Military Workers, Officers
- National Park Service Employees
- Paralegals
- Park Rangers
- Parking Attendants
- Parole Officers
- Personal Privacy Advisors
- Plumbers and Pipefitters
- Police Officers
- Political Consultants
- Polygraph Examiners
- Press Secretaries
- Private Investigators
- Process Servers
- Project Managers
- Property and Real Estate Managers
- Real Estate Developers
- Resort Workers
- Restaurant and Food Service Managers
- Secret Service Special Agents
- Security Consultants
- Security Systems Installers and Workers
- Sports Facility Managers
- Stationary Engineers
- Strategy Managers
- Translators
- Wildland Firefighters
- Workplace Diversity Experts