Mostly Resilient
Last Update: 8/30/2026
AI Resilience Score for Security Guards:
54.9%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Med
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Med
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Med
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
Most data sources align, with only minor variation. This is a well-supported result.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forSecurity Guards
$38,020 median salary•156,000 annual openings•SOC Code: 33-9032.00
Security Guards are somewhat more resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 7 sources.
Security guard work earns a "Mostly Resilient" label because the parts of the job that matter most, like de-escalation, judgment calls, first aid, and physical protection, are genuinely hard for AI to replicate. While technology is taking over repetitive tasks like watching camera feeds and patrolling predictable routes, humans are being pushed toward the higher-stakes moments that require real decision-making and ethical thinking.
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Security guard work earns a "Mostly Resilient" label because the parts of the job that matter most, like de-escalation, judgment calls, first aid, and physical protection, are genuinely hard for AI to replicate. While technology is taking over repetitive tasks like watching camera feeds and patrolling predictable routes, humans are being pushed toward the higher-stakes moments that require real decision-making and ethical thinking.
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Security Guards
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Security Guards jobs?
Right now, security guard work is being augmented far more than fully automated, though the pressure is real. According to the ASIS International "From Guards to Guardians" analysis, AI is taking over repetitive, high-risk, or data-saturated tasks so humans can shift into roles that require decision-making and ethical judgment, and it's already being used for surveillance analytics that flag anomalies in real-time video, perimeter defense with robotic patrol units and drones, biometric access control, and threat detection. Major guarding firms are moving fast: Security Magazine's 2025 Annual Guarding Report [1] describes Allied Universal using AI in video analytics to catch unwanted behaviors and trigger alerts, so a potential bad actor can get an automated warning to disperse before a human guard confronts them, while GardaWorld's ECAM division reports AI that detects threats in under a second and boosts detection accuracy up to 40%.
Robot patrols are also spreading — Futurism reports [2] that AI-camera robot dogs are being deployed to patrol data centers, safeguard crops, and police sports stadiums. But full replacement is stumbling: 404 Media [3] notes that AI can't handle the ambiguous situations guards face daily, and George Mason robotics professor Missy Cummings says AI systems can perform "miserably" outside their training data.
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Security Guards?
Adoption is being pushed hard by labor economics. The UC Berkeley Labor Center [4] found annual turnover in the security industry reached 89% in 2024, far above the 66% private-sector average, and Futurism reports that covering one 24/7 guard shift with a robot dog can cost $80,000 to $130,000 less per year than a human. With BLS [5] projecting employment to grow just 1 percent from 2025 to 2035, employers are eager to fill gaps with tech.
Still, adoption is slowed by ethics and reliability: UC Berkeley's Enrique Lopezlira told Business Insider the realistic near-term effect isn't replacement but pushing humans toward the hardest, higher-stakes parts of the work. The bottom line for young workers: the uniform is changing, not disappearing. Human skills like de-escalation, first aid, judgment calls, and physical protection — the tasks with the lowest automation scores — are becoming more valuable, not less, as machines handle the boring watching.
Sources
Will AI replace Security Guards?
No. We don't think AI will replace Security Guards, though we do expect the job to change.
We gave this career a 54.9% AI Resilience Score, which puts it in a better position than many jobs. The honest reason is that AI is already doing real work here, but it's mostly the repetitive, data-heavy parts. Companies like Allied Universal are using AI video analytics to flag threats and issue automated warnings before a human guard ever steps in [1]. Robot patrols are spreading too, with some deployments costing significantly less per year than a human shift [2]. That kind of pressure is real.
What AI still can't do is handle the messy, ambiguous moments that guards face constantly. Robotics experts note that AI systems can perform poorly outside their training data [3], and those edge cases are basically the whole job. De-escalation, first aid, judgment calls, physical presence during a crisis: these are exactly the skills machines struggle with most.
The job market picture is modest but stable. BLS projects 1 percent employment growth through 2035, with high turnover creating steady openings [5]. The uniform is changing, not disappearing. Guards who learn to work alongside AI tools will likely find themselves doing more of the meaningful, high-stakes work, not less.
Sources
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Latest AI news for Security Guards
These articles highlight how AI is reshaping the security landscape, creating new opportunities for security guards. For instance, the demand for security roles in AI data centers is rising due to increased threats, emphasizing the need for skilled personnel. Additionally, understanding AI's role in cyber defense can help security guards adapt and enhance their skill sets, ensuring they remain relevant in a rapidly changing industry. Embracing AI resilience will empower students to navigate these transitions confidently.
askST Jobs: My job feels secure, but my industry is in decline due to AI. Should I be worried?
www.straitstimes.com • 6/29/2026
Discover how to navigate job security concerns in declining industries affected by AI and adapt your career for future relevance.
The AI boom is creating surging demand for this nontraditional tech job
www.businessinsider.com • 6/2/2026
The expansion of AI data centers is spurring demand for security roles, as these facilities face increased threats and public opposition.
Putting frontier AI to work to strengthen defenses
www.ibm.com • 5/20/2026
As AI accelerates cyberattacks, the biggest risk for enterprises is no longer whether vulnerabilities will be found, but how quickly...
Call to action for AI companies to work with UK Government on national cyber defence
www.gov.uk • 4/22/2026
Leading AI companies should work with the UK Government to build AI-powered cyber defence capabilities, the Security Minister Dan Jarvis...
Will AI Replace Cybersecurity Jobs in 2026?
www.spiceworks.com • 4/8/2026
Explore how AI is impacting cybersecurity jobs, roles, and skills. Learn what IT professionals should expect and how to adapt.
More Career Info
Career: Security Guards
They keep places safe by watching over them, checking for any problems, and responding to emergencies or disturbances.
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Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$38,020
Jobs (2025)
1,294,300
Growth (2025-35)
+0.9%
Annual Openings
156,000
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-2035
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics.
2
Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary.
3
Escort or drive motor vehicle to transport individuals to specified locations or to provide personal protection.
4
Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property.
5
Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates.
6
Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.
7
Answer alarms and investigate disturbances.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
