Security Guard (with or without Firearm) Course
Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program · El Centro, CA
- Cost
- $5,580
- Length
- 7 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- 38%
Program names and program descriptions appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Occupation titles are translated where O*NET publishes a Spanish name. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 59
- Finished the program
- 88%Based on 34 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- 38%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $7,196A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
The job this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Where California publishes a separate figure for El Centro MSA (Imperial County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Security Guards
Job ads may call this: Security Agent · Security Guard · Security Officer · Armed Security Officer
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.
- Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates.
- Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics.
- Answer alarms and investigate disturbances.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property.
- Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises.
- Write reports of daily activities and irregularities, such as equipment or property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons, or unusual occurrences.
- Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary.
What this pays in El Centro MSA (Imperial County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro MSA (Imperial County) | $35,189 | $38,173 | $56,783 |
| Across California | $36,922 | $44,335 | $59,346 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for El Centro MSA (Imperial County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $44,335per yearEl Centro MSA: $37,137
- Projected openings
- 264,160El Centro MSA: 950
- Projected change
- +3.3%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- Under a month
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
Program details
This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.
Security and Loss Prevention Services. A program that prepares individuals to perform routine inspection, patrol and crime prevention services for private clients. Includes instruction in the provision of personal protection as well as property security.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-09-18). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
Ask before you enroll, not after
The order the rules set out starts at the center rather than at the school. Before a center can find somebody eligible for training services it has to gather enough to decide, at a minimum through an interview, evaluation or assessment and career planning. Referring a person to the provider they have chosen and setting up the account both come after that, and both are the center's to do — the account is a payment agreement with the training provider, and it is the provider that is paid through it. So the call belongs before enrolling and before paying. Anyone who has already done either should still ask, and ask what it means for them.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
American Job Center of California - El Centro West Employment DepartmentAffiliate site
Phone: 760-339-2722 or 442-265-7579
1550 W Main StreetCesar Chavez BuildingEl Centro, CA 92243about 2.3 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Has a veterans' representative
Calexico One-Stop Career CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 760-357-7760
301 Heber AvenueOne Stop Employment ServicesCalexico, CA 92231about 9.4 miles away
Hours: Monday -Friday 8:00am-5:00pm
Has a veterans' representative
America`s Job Center of California-Brawley,CAComprehensive center
Phone: 442-265-5376
860 Main StreetWorkforce and Development Office/Department of Social ServicesBrawley, CA 92227about 15 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
At a comprehensive center all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →