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WHAT THE CONTRACT SERVICE SHOULD PROVIDE
MINIMUM WAGES PAID TO SECURITY OFFICERS
The following recommendations are averages and should be modified to suit the local environment, the level of security necessary, the training, experience and expertise required, and the duties of the officers. It is felt these wages would generally insure quality service and minimize turnover in most areas of the U.S..
Installation Supervisor (Captain) $500--$650 per week salary or hourly equivalent
Shift Supervisor (Sergeant) $9.00 - $11.00 per hour
Security Officer $8.00 - $10.00 per hour
These wages should, of course, increase in relation to the cost of living.
Again, these are averages which are not applicable everywhere. In a rural community where jobs are hard to come by, these recommendations would be excessive. In other areas of the country, a high percentage of the population is comprised of relatively young retired military personnel. These folks are usually make excellent security officer candidates, and often relatively low wages are acceptable because of the military retirement benefits they receive. However in a prosperous urban area boasting low unemployment, wages might have to be higher. Additionally, it obviously takes a higher level of expertise for officers responsible for fire fighting, monitoring scientific experiments or handling other unusual technical duties than it does for officers functioning primarily as unskilled night watchmen.
These recommended average wages are significantly higher than those paid by the stereotype low end services, yet somewhat below wages paid to professional proprietary security officers. This wage recommendation usually results in attracting the best of the people making careers as contract security officers. Another way to establish an applicable wage guide is to determine what local low end security services are paying and assume an additional 50% - 60% will have to be paid by the contract service in order to attract and retain quality officers.
One of the primary causes for a lack of respect towards security officers in many facilities, is the fact that these officers are the lowest paid people at the site while they bear more responsibility than most workers. When plant sweepers earn significantly more than security officers, efficiency, attitude and morale suffers, contributing to a lack of interest on the job and a predictable high turnover. On the other hand, in plants where workers earn minimum wage, the security force might remain motivated, stable and effective if their earnings are somewhat below those recommended.
Some companies have become quite creative in minimizing their security costs, but those which have derived savings from using contract services that pay minimum wage have generally increased their real costs. Many businesses, for instance have reduced coverage hours, but integrated well paid competent contract security officers with
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