Armored Car Guard

Armored car guards are security guards who protect money or valuables in transit; they may also be assigned to protect individuals transporting money or valuables. As the job can be quite dangerous, many armored car guards not only carry firearms, but they also wear bulletproof vests.

Specific requirements vary, but many states require armored car guards to be registered or licensed. Common requirements include a high school diploma, valid driver’s license, firearms permit, clean criminal and driving records and special training, often including courses on firearms.

Security Guard Education

Although no degree beyond a high school diploma is required to become an armored car guard, additional coursework and experience in criminal justice, security or corrections may make an applicant more attractive to an employer.

Accordingly, those interested in becoming an armored car guard can increase their chances of being hired by pursuing higher education, particularly with the online degrees below.

Security Guard Job Description

Armored car guards are responsible for the safe transport of money or valuables from one location to another. An armored car guard may be assigned to protect an individual transferring money, but more likely, the guard will carry out the transaction himself by going into the site of transfer, signing for the valuables and transporting them back to the armored truck. Other armored car guards may collect coins from parking meters.

In 2006, about 1,049,000 people were employed as security guards, and over half of those were employed in investigation and security services, including guard and armored car services.

Security Guard Salary

According to PayScale.com, the average hourly wage of armed security guards is between $10.62 and $13.93. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports reports that the 2006 median income of security guards employed in investigation, guard and armored car services was $20,280.

Judging from data at SalaryExpert.com, armored car guards working in cities make considerably more money, especially New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.