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Old 03-16-2013, 04:52 PM
 
989 posts, read 1,869,628 times
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It's an honest job, and there is nothing wrong with being a security guard. Anyone who works for a living is honorable.
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Old 03-17-2013, 10:44 AM
 
273 posts, read 1,059,227 times
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security guard = minimum wage loser

gangbanger/drug trafficker = pimped out rides + fly honeys + bread

you figure it out.
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Old 03-17-2013, 02:31 PM
 
Location: where people are either too stupid to leave or too stuck to move
3,982 posts, read 6,664,183 times
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i think maybe thru pop culture jokes is how security guards got such a bad rep....which trickled down to the public
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Old 03-17-2013, 02:39 PM
 
26,585 posts, read 61,813,124 times
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I know a few people who work as security guards.

One works as a private bodyguard to a celebrity, carries a concealed weapon with a Federal permit, has a degree in criminal justice and is a former Federal LEO, and a black belt in karate. Nicest guy in the world, until you try to screw with him. He travels around the world in a private jet (his employer is a famous Grammy winning singer), lives for free in a guest house on his employers estate property, and has a six figure income.

One is retired from a state job as an accountant, collecting a decent pension, and works security p/t for a theme park. He makes about $10 an hour and works on average 65 hours a month. The money isn't great but he's not there for the money but the perks--free admission for him and his family, discounted meals, etc. He had no security experience prior to getting that job.

One works as a security officer for a casino. He makes about $30K a year. He likes the work and it's enough for him to live decently--he's single, no kids. He has an associates in criminal justice, and had wanted to become a cop, but is now rethinking that. He feels there's less safety risk working for the casino and he should be promoted to management within the next couple of years which would bring a $10K+ raise.

One works as a security guy overnights at a gated community. He gets paid about $9 an hour. He keeps saying he's going to look for another job, but I don't think he's all that motivated to do so. He likes working nights and is pretty lazy and he really doesn't do a whole lot except watch TV, wave at residents as they drive in, and check ID's against the guest list for non-residents.

None of them are making minimum wage, and I don't think I'd consider any of them total losers. #4 isn't too far off, but I can think of worse jobs and at least he has one that he actually likes.
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Old 03-22-2013, 04:41 AM
 
12 posts, read 34,417 times
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My buddy is going to get his guard training soon. And armed guard license after. It's pretty easy and quick to do. And ya the job itself is one of the easiest (if not the easiest) you can do. He does own his own place though free and clear so I would not consider him a "loser" considering millions of people have no jobs, lost their homes to foreclosures etc etc.

If you have a job, own your own place, have cash in savings.. then you're already FAR ahead of millions of people out there.

I actually saw a girl the other day walking into a large supermarket wearing a guard outfit... She was in her late 20's I'd say... good looking chic.. I didn't think she was a loser......

All of these people you see going to college and trying to get big shot careers are all working as waiters and bartenders after they graduate because they don't find jobs and are in debt from their student loans.

Security Guards average about $25,000-30,000 / year.. I think armed guards make a little more.
http://www1.salary.com/Security-Guard-Salary.html
Now compare that with something like an EMT/EMS job, emergency medical technicians, the people who show up with the Ambulance. They make around the same amount and work 10x harder and are under a lot of stress.

Security is usually a very easy job which is why it probably gets associated with being lazy a lot. I used to know a plain clothes security guard years ago who worked at a clothing store. He would simply watch cameras in the back room and walk the store floor every once in a while..

Last edited by JSR56; 03-22-2013 at 05:41 AM..
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Old 03-22-2013, 06:42 AM
 
Location: The Great Outdoors
442 posts, read 797,848 times
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They tend to be pretty twisted, yeah, I worked as one for about 6 months when I was 18.
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Old 03-22-2013, 08:59 AM
 
7,005 posts, read 12,412,134 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSR56 View Post
My buddy is going to get his guard training soon. And armed guard license after. It's pretty easy and quick to do. And ya the job itself is one of the easiest (if not the easiest) you can do. He does own his own place though free and clear so I would not consider him a "loser" considering millions of people have no jobs, lost their homes to foreclosures etc etc.

If you have a job, own your own place, have cash in savings.. then you're already FAR ahead of millions of people out there.

I actually saw a girl the other day walking into a large supermarket wearing a guard outfit... She was in her late 20's I'd say... good looking chic.. I didn't think she was a loser......

All of these people you see going to college and trying to get big shot careers are all working as waiters and bartenders after they graduate because they don't find jobs and are in debt from their student loans.

Security Guards average about $25,000-30,000 / year.. I think armed guards make a little more.
Security Guard Salary - Salary.com
Now compare that with something like an EMT/EMS job, emergency medical technicians, the people who show up with the Ambulance. They make around the same amount and work 10x harder and are under a lot of stress.

Security is usually a very easy job which is why it probably gets associated with being lazy a lot. I used to know a plain clothes security guard years ago who worked at a clothing store. He would simply watch cameras in the back room and walk the store floor every once in a while..
A more reliable source says that the median wage for a security guard is $24,380 a year. Median salary gives a better picture than average salary since averages are skewed by extreme lows and highs. As someone who has worked in security, I would say that the government's stat sounds about right. Security guards in Texas would be lucky to make $23k as an armed guard. Unarmed guards are lucky to make $20k. Texas has a low cost of living, so I know security guards make a couple of more dollars an hour in other states which would still put them near the national median. Even though it's cheap to live in Texas, $11 an hour for a single person is not a decent living. It's enough to get the bills paid and live in a decent apartment, but you will not have much to put away for emergencies and retirement.

Security Guards and Gaming Surveillance Officers : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

EMTs and Paramedics make around $30k a year. Of course, paramedics make more than EMT-Basics.
EMTs and Paramedics : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Old 03-22-2013, 10:32 AM
 
12 posts, read 34,417 times
Reputation: 11
Quote:
$11 an hour for a single person is not a decent living. It's enough to get the bills paid and live in a decent apartment, but you will not have much to put away for emergencies and retirement.
It depends on your situation. If you don't have a mortgage to pay or rent to pay and no kids to support then one person can live very well on $25,000 / year.

Even if it costs one person in the above situation $6,000 a year just to live (food and basic monthly bills)... There's still almost $20,000 left over to put into savings or do whatever you want with. Even if there's only $15,000 left over.. It's still a lot of money to just have laying around to do what you please with.

If you throw 15k into savings over 4 years you'll have $60,000 saved already... Considering most people dont even have a few hundred dollars sitting in their savings, that's not too bad..

Of course most people dont have the luxury of not having to pay a $2,000 / month mortgage or rent every month though either. Owning your own property is the key to living well.

Last edited by JSR56; 03-22-2013 at 10:41 AM..
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Old 03-22-2013, 01:27 PM
 
Location: Corona the I.E.
10,137 posts, read 17,395,088 times
Reputation: 9138
Generally speaking no, but some sure act like it. Are they Kevin James the Mall cop or the ex cop that is trying to determine if me the outside sales person belongs in that blng LOL!
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Old 03-22-2013, 08:38 PM
 
7,005 posts, read 12,412,134 times
Reputation: 5478
Quote:
Originally Posted by JSR56 View Post
It depends on your situation. If you don't have a mortgage to pay or rent to pay and no kids to support then one person can live very well on $25,000 / year.

Even if it costs one person in the above situation $6,000 a year just to live (food and basic monthly bills)... There's still almost $20,000 left over to put into savings or do whatever you want with. Even if there's only $15,000 left over.. It's still a lot of money to just have laying around to do what you please with.

If you throw 15k into savings over 4 years you'll have $60,000 saved already... Considering most people dont even have a few hundred dollars sitting in their savings, that's not too bad..

Of course most people dont have the luxury of not having to pay a $2,000 / month mortgage or rent every month though either. Owning your own property is the key to living well.
$11 an hour is only $22,880 a year before taxes. Rent, alone, would be around $6,000 a year for a 1 bedroom that isn't infested with pests or in the high-crime part of town. Then, there is food, gas and other transportation expenses (many security companies require that you have a car due to odd work hours and work sites where public transit does not go), utilities, cell phone (this is also becoming a common requirement), and health insurance (if the security company even offers it). $6,000 a year is a little more than half the poverty line for a single person in the U.S. It would be impossible to live decently on that without living with parents or roommates. How is a person who has worked security his or her whole life supposed to earn enough to own a house quickly enough so that he or she can start putting away money for retirement? That's why security is best for students and the semi-retired. It is not a good career. Most security guards are not and neither qualified for being body guards or paramilitary security guards.

Last edited by L210; 03-22-2013 at 08:48 PM..
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