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JAMM AQUINO / jaquino@staradvertiser.com
G4S security officer Fred Burkhart patrols near the Outrigger Reef Hotel property in Waikiki.
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It pays to be a security guard in Hawaii — at least compared with the rest of the country.
Hawaii’s entry-level wage for security guards is the highest in the nation at more than $20 an hour, according to a recent report by the Greenwich, Conn.-based Institute of Finance & Management. The national average for security officers is about $12 to $13 an hour.
PAYING FOR PROTECTION
Hawaii pays the highest hourly wages and the most for annual salaries of any state in the nation.
Level 1 unarmed security officer, proprietary*
1. Hawaii: $21.95
2. Washington, D.C.: $18.55
3. Alaska: $17.59
4. California: $17.58
5. Connecticut: $17.27
— U.S. : $13.26
Level 1 unarmed security officer, contract**
1. Hawaii: $20.81
2. Washington, D.C. : $17.59
3. Alaska: $16.67
4. California: $16.66
5. Connecticut: $16.37
— U.S.: $12.57
* On company payroll
** Paid by a security firm
Source: Institute of Finance & Management
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"The pay for security officers has improved in recent years, but the general perception remains that salaries are insufficient to truly increase professionalism in the industry and attract and retain the level of talent that is necessary to match the importance and growing demands of the position," said Garett Seivold, author of the report.
At least one local company questioned the study’s findings, in particular the $20-an-hour average wage for unarmed guards in Hawaii.
Jeff Owens, principal guard in Hawaii for G4S Secure Solutions (USA) Inc., the security company formerly known as Wackenhut Corp., said the numbers seem "way high" for Hawaii.
"Our wages, depending on the contract, are about $8 an hour up to $16 an hour," he said. "The average would be about $12, which is about the national average."
Owen did say his company wants to pay better wages to attract and keep better employees.
"We’ve been working hard the last couple of years to see that our officers get livable wages. We’ve been working to move the wage up because that’s beneficial to everybody. We attract better-qualified candidates by being able to offer a better wage, and it reduces the attrition rate."
