Will AI replace first-line supervisors of security workers?

Unlikely, though parts of the work are changing. About 1h 35m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks touched by robots. The other 6h 25m (80%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 3.7% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 3 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 1h 35m of a typical shift. For 3 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Patrol the premises to prevent or detect intrusion, protect property, or preserve order. (47m a shift; e.g. Cobalt Robot, in use)
• Investigate disturbances on the premises, such as security alarms, altercations, and suspicious activity. (36m a shift; e.g. Cobalt Robot (Cobalt AI), in use)
• Secure entrances and exits by locking doors and gates. (12m a shift; e.g. Verkada Command access control with electronic/wireless door locks (Mountain View-Los Altos Union HSD), in use)

6h 25m of a typical shift, or 80%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Monitor the behavior of security employees to ensure adherence to quality standards, deadlines, or procedures. (47m a shift)
• Monitor closed-circuit television cameras. (41m a shift)
• Monitor and authorize entry of employees, visitors, or other persons. (36m a shift)
• Write reports documenting observations made while on patrol. (30m a shift)
• Advise employees in handling problems or resolving complaints from customers, tenants, detainees, or other persons. (30m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 99% are in constant contact with other people
• 98% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 93% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important

On Indeed, job postings in the Security & Public Safety sector are at 119% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 4.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 6,800 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $55,940 a year ($26.90 an hour), 10% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $37,300 and $92,260 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 3.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 86,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 6,800 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 81,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.05% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 305th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 86,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is an associate's degree: about 30% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Management of Personnel Resources, Time Management, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 6h 25m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Security Managers (1h 39m touched, $107k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 3 with robots in real deployments, 18 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.