Short answer
Unlikely. BLS rates the work's exposure to AI as moderate, below the middle of the pack, and still projects employment to grow.
AI and jobs
Will AI Replace Security Guards? (2026)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics places security guards in its moderate AI exposure category, below the middle of the pack: some of the work overlaps with what AI can do, much of it does not. BLS projects employment to change by +0.9% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 156,000 openings a year.
- BLS AI exposure
- ModerateBLS EP supplemental table
- AI-resilience score
- 54/100Higher than 72% of jobs · NueCareer
- Projected change
- +0.9%BLS EP 2025–2035; all jobs 3.5%
- Openings a year
- 156,000BLS EP 2025–2035
The federal measure
How exposed security guards are to AI
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a relative AI exposure category for each occupation it projects, built from five public measures of where AI could be, or already is, used to assist with or complete the work. Security Guards land in the moderate category: below the middle of the pack: some of the work overlaps with what AI can do, much of it does not.
Where this job sits on the BLS scale
786 occupations in the NueCareer bank, in BLS's four relative categories; width shows how many fall in each
- Low203 occupations · 26%
- Moderate · this job194 occupations · 25%
- High190 occupations · 24%
- Very high199 occupations · 25%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, AI exposure categories supplemental table.
- Exposure is relative. The categories rank occupations against each other; they are not a probability that a job is automated.
- BLS says exposure does not imply job loss, productivity gains, automation probability or wage effects. A highly exposed job can still grow if AI makes the people in it more productive.
- The classification reflects AI capabilities as the underlying studies measured them. Read the BLS method and limitations.
Inside the work
What AI can and cannot do in this job
O*NET rates how important each work activity is to an occupation and how often each working condition comes up. The ratings below are the ones that move the job's NueCareer AI-resilience score the most: the ones that pull it up, and the ones that pull it down. Only ratings clearly above the midpoint count.
What holds up
Physical, hands-on and person-to-person work
- Assisting and caring for others4.2/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Performing for or working directly with the public4.4/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Resolving conflicts and negotiating with others4.2/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships4.5/5O*NET work activity, importance
What AI reaches first
Routine, repeatable and screen-based work
- Documenting/recording information4.5/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Processing information4.1/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Repeating the same tasks4.4/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Getting information4.6/5O*NET work activity, importance
The tasks O*NET lists for security guards
- Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises.
- Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency, such as fire or presence of unauthorized persons.
- Write reports of daily activities and irregularities, such as equipment or property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons, or unusual occurrences.
- Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.
- Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property.
- Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary.
O*NET 31.0 Database task statements, most important first.
The jobs
Will there still be jobs?
Exposure says where AI meets the work. The BLS projection says what the labor market is expected to do over 2025–2035. BLS projects +0.9% change in employment over the decade, against 3.5% across all occupations, and about 156,000 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted. About 1,283,470 people work in the job today, at a median of $38,020 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Full security guard profile: pay by state, entry route and skills
Options
Related careers less exposed to AI than security guards
Careers O*NET lists as related to the work, or in the same field at similar pay, that BLS places in a lower exposure category.
Lifeguard, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Worker
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $33,580median a year
- Growth
- +5.5%
- Openings / yr
- 45,400
- Education
- No formal credential
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 65/100
- resilience
Monitor recreational areas, such as pools, beaches, or ski slopes, to provide assistance and protection to participants.
Firefighter
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $59,280median a year
- Growth
- +3.7%
- Openings / yr
- 26,800
- Education
- Certificate
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 65/100
- resilience
Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk.
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $93,530median a year
- Growth
- +3.7%
- Openings / yr
- 6,600
- Education
- Certificate
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 64/100
- resilience
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.
Questions
Will AI Replace Security Guards? FAQ
Will AI replace security guards?
Unlikely. BLS rates the work's exposure to AI as moderate, below the middle of the pack, and still projects employment to grow. BLS defines exposure as AI being able to assist with or complete some of the work, and says it does not imply job loss, productivity gains or wage effects. BLS projects employment to change by +0.9% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 156,000 openings a year.
How exposed are security guards to AI?
BLS sorts 786 occupations into four relative categories: low, moderate, high and very high. Security Guards are in the moderate category, alongside 193 other occupations. The categories combine five public measures of where AI could be or already is used, and they compare occupations with each other rather than giving an absolute risk.
What parts of a security guard's job can AI do?
In O*NET's description of the work, the parts that overlap most with what AI handles well are documenting/recording information, processing information and repeating the same tasks. The parts that hold up best are assisting and caring for others, performing for or working directly with the public and resolving conflicts and negotiating with others. These come from O*NET ratings of how important each activity is to the job, read through NueCareer's AI-resilience method.
Is being a security guard a safe career from AI?
On NueCareer's AI-resilience score, built from O*NET work activities, security guards score 54 out of 100, higher than 72% of the occupations we score. The job pays a median of $38,020 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). No job is fully safe from technological change, but the federal exposure category and the projected openings are the two numbers worth weighing.
What careers similar to security guards are less exposed to AI?
Lifeguard, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Worker (low exposure, $33,580 median), Firefighter (low exposure, $59,280 median), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers (low exposure, $93,530 median). Each is in a lower BLS exposure category than security guards, and most are listed by O*NET as related to the work.
The AI exposure category is the Bureau of Labor Statistics'. The AI-resilience score and the activity breakdown are NueCareer's analysis of O*NET 31.0 Database data (method), not a federal figure. More: jobs most exposed to AI, jobs least exposed to AI, or check any job.