JobBreak

Protective Service · United States (national)

Security Guards

How exposed this work is to automation, shown as ranges with the reasoning and sources.

The short version: this role is less exposed to automation, and a near-term shift looks unlikely. It is a sourced range, not a verdict, and the detail is below.

Built on O*NET tasks, BLS pay and projections, and peer-reviewed AI-exposure research. Sources shown. Data snapshot SNAPSHOT-2026-11-06. How it works
25.0 of 100
AI / softwarerange 13.0 to 37.0
28.7 of 100
Physical / roboticsrange 16.7 to 40.7

When the change is likely

unlikely soon 0y 5y 10y 15y 20+y

Largely unaffected local demand growing

What to do about it

Use AI to outpace AI.

Strategies to protect your livelihood, most important first.

1
Stay sharp; urgency is low
This role looks durable. Keep your skills current and watch for shifts in your field.
2
Pivot toward First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
It is skill-adjacent and less exposed (26.2 vs 29). A lateral move now beats a forced one later.
3
Build a financial buffer
Keep 6 to 12 months of expenses and diversify your income, so a disruption is a setback rather than a catastrophe.
4
Add a recognised credential
A certification or license raises the bar against automation and signals value in a tightening market.

Which of my tasks are exposed

Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.
28.7
Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates.
100.0
Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics.
28.7
Answer alarms and investigate disturbances.
100.0
Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property.
28.7
Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises.
50.0
Write reports of daily activities and irregularities, such as equipment or property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons, or unusual occurrences.
28.7
Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary.
28.7

Longer, orange bars are more automatable; short green bars are resistant.

What is driving my result

lowers risk
raises risk
Task: Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates.
Task: Answer alarms and investigate disturbances.
Local demand is growing

Lower-risk adjacent roles

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
26.2

A full, ranked mitigation plan is part of the paid tiers.

How this score is calculated

  1. Map Security Guards to its standard O*NET task list (8 core tasks).
  2. Score each task for AI/software exposure (Eloundou et al. 2023) and physical/robotics exposure (an O*NET work-context proxy), each 0 to 100.
  3. The two axis scores are the task averages: AI 25.0, robotics 28.7.
  4. The timeline comes from the higher axis (28.7), shifted for local demand (growing), and seniority. It is read against your remaining working years.
  5. Ranges are about ±12 points. A backtest against real BLS employment change shows the risk ranking holds in aggregate, but individual outcomes are predicted weakly, so results are ranges, never a flat verdict.

Sources: O*NET, Eloundou et al. (2023), GPTs are GPTs, O*NET Work Context, BLS CPI-U, BLS OEWS. Snapshot SNAPSHOT-2026-11-06. Full method and backtest on How it works.

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