Security Guard
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Security Guard occupation series (code 0085): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family, Security Guard counts 4,312 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.8% from the prior period; pay averages $57,464, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 4,312
- Share of workforce
- 0.2%
- Avg salary
- $57,464
- Avg tenure
- 11.3 yrs
FedScope read on Security Guard (dense series)
0.2% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Security Guard occupation (OPM code 0085): 4,312 people, headcount up 0.8% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Security Guard is $57,464 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.3% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 11.3 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Code 00, the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family, is where the federal government classifies Security Guard alongside 26 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Security Guard postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family.
Within the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family, Security Guard ranks #8 of 27 by headcount, accounting for 4.7% of the family's combined 92,278 employees. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (10th percentile) of pay among Miscellaneous Occupations Group occupations.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Security Guard pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$57,464
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-51.0%
Where Security Guard ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $57,464 is higher than 11% of federal occupation series (61 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Security Guard sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Security Guard ranks higher than 11%.
Related Occupations in Miscellaneous Occupations Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security Administration | 15,507 | $125,293 | 15.4 yrs |
| Correctional Officer | 14,821 | n/a | 10.3 yrs |
| Police | 11,883 | n/a | 12.2 yrs |
| Emergency Management Specialist | 11,832 | $100,833 | 9.7 yrs |
| Fire Protection and Prevention | 8,848 | $74,762 | 14.6 yrs |
| Safety and Occupational Health Management | 5,704 | $117,177 | 16.3 yrs |
| Park Ranger | 5,202 | $75,210 | 10.6 yrs |
| Environmental Protection Specialist | 4,157 | $127,481 | 15.2 yrs |
| Security Clerical and Assistance | 3,340 | $65,477 | 12.7 yrs |
| Correctional Institution Administration | 1,677 | $122,358 | 19.4 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Security Guard outside the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (4,312 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($57,464 here).
Key takeaways
- Security Guard pays below the federal average by 51.0% ($57,464 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 11th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 4,312 employees, 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.8% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Security Guard ranks #96 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family, Security Guard ranks #8 of 27 by headcount, accounting for 4.7% of the family's combined 92,278 employees.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.