What is an access control officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

The Access Control Officer is a key member of the security team of the company. You will be the one to give access to all the staff of the company whenever they need access to the company. Apart from this, you are also responsible for welcoming guests and granting them access. Similarly, you will issue access or pass to those that are checked and grant the right to enter into the company. You will also oversee IT systems and operate the identification systems to enable access.

A good standard in IT, mathematics, and English is the education requirement for the post. Similarly, excellent IT skills with a working knowledge of all Microsoft Office packages and experience in a related post are key. You must also be able to work under pressure and possess strong written and verbal communication skills. With this, you will earn $13.54 an hour or $28,164 a year.

ScoreAccess Control OfficerUS Average
Salary
2.4

Avg. Salary $31,174

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
8.6

Growth Rate 3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
10.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.61%

Asian 6.17%

Black or African American 16.83%

Hispanic or Latino 19.74%

Unknown 5.35%

White 50.30%

Gender

female 31.13%

male 68.87%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress Level
8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
4.9

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
9.4

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

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Access Control Officer career paths

Key steps to become an access control officer

  1. Explore access control officer education requirements

    Most common access control officer degrees

    Bachelor's

    36.1 %

    Associate

    27.2 %

    High School Diploma

    19.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific access control officer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Customer Service41.94%
    Patrol11.33%
    CPR6.12%
    Law Enforcement5.21%
    Control Systems4.00%
  3. Complete relevant access control officer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New access control officers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an access control officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real access control officer resumes.
  4. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming an licensed access control officer usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you don't need to pass an exam to become a licensed access control officer in most of states. 30 states require access control officers to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
    State
    ascdesc
    Education
    ascdesc
    Exam
    ascdesc
    License Url
    ascdesc
    Alabama--Licensed Personal Security Officer
    Maryland--GUARDS
    AlaskaSpecific course required-Security Guard
    ArkansasSpecific course requiredState exam requiredPrivate Security Officer (PSO)
    CaliforniaSpecific course requiredState exam requiredSecurity Guard Registration
  5. Research access control officer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage facility access and physical security, including conducting routine patrols and CCTV monitoring.
    • Perform hourly foot patrol of the building for sign of unauthorize entry, burglary or vandalism.
    • Greet residents, know all emergency procedures, train in CPR, monitor cctv cameras, and monitor all building alarms.
    • Make id badges for new employees.
  6. Prepare your access control officer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your access control officer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an access control officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Access Control Officer Resume templates

    Build a professional Access Control Officer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Access Control Officer resume.
    Access Control Officer Resume
    Access Control Officer Resume
    Access Control Officer Resume
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    Access Control Officer Resume
  7. Apply for access control officer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an access control officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Access Control Officer Job

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Average access control officer salary

The average Access Control Officer salary in the United States is $31,174 per year or $15 per hour. Access control officer salaries range between $23,000 and $41,000 per year.

Average Access Control Officer Salary
$31,174 Yearly
$14.99 hourly

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How do access control officers rate their job?

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Access Control Officer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Cons

The pay is not worth what you have to do sometimes


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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2021
Pros

Protecting people and the property where I’m sign at.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

Yes because is a job that deal with helping people that your help and there's a wonderful happiness while working properly and helping people at the sometime.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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