If you’ve driven down Poplar Avenue or Summer Avenue in the past month, you’ve probably noticed the hiring signs. Security companies across Memphis are scrambling to fill positions, and they’re competing for the same pool of candidates in a labor market that still favors workers.
The reason is straightforward. Demand for private security in Memphis has been climbing since 2020, and it hasn’t let up. Businesses are adding guards. Apartment complexes are contracting mobile patrols. Event venues are staffing up for summer festival season. Meanwhile, MPD’s staffing shortage has pushed more of the everyday security burden onto the private sector.
For anyone considering a security job in Memphis, whether you’re transitioning out of the military, looking for a career change, or just need steady work with a regular schedule, here are five companies actively hiring right now, what they’re paying, and what you should know about each one before you apply.
Allied Universal
Pay range: $14-18/hr unarmed, $18-22/hr armed Positions open: Armed guards, unarmed guards, mobile patrol, site supervisors
Allied Universal is the largest security company in the United States. They employ roughly 300,000 people nationwide, and their Memphis operation handles contracts ranging from corporate offices on Ridgeway Road to warehouse facilities in the Lamar Avenue corridor.
The upside of working for Allied is scale. They offer health insurance, 401(k) plans, and tuition assistance programs that smaller companies can’t match. If you want to build a long-term career in security, they have a management track that can take you from guard to site supervisor to branch manager. They also invest in training. New hires go through a standardized onboarding program, and armed guards receive regular firearms qualification.
The downside is everything that comes with a massive corporation. Scheduling can be rigid. Communication between field guards and management sometimes feels like shouting into a void. You might get assigned to a site 40 minutes from your house because that’s where the opening is. And the pay at the lower end of that range, $14 an hour for unarmed work, is barely above what fast food restaurants on Winchester are offering.
If you want benefits and career trajectory, Allied is worth a look. If you want personal attention from management, you might find it frustrating.
Securitas
Pay range: $13-16/hr unarmed Positions open: Unarmed guards, warehouse security, logistics facility posts
Securitas is a Swedish-headquartered firm that’s one of the biggest security employers globally. In Memphis, they’ve built most of their business around the logistics sector. If you end up working for Securitas in this city, there’s a good chance you’ll be posted at a distribution center or warehouse facility along the I-40 or I-55 corridors.
They run decent training programs for new hires, including online courses and in-person sessions at their Memphis office. For people entering the security industry for the first time, Securitas provides structured learning that helps you understand the basics: report writing, observation techniques, conflict de-escalation, legal authority.
The problems are well documented and not unique to Memphis. Securitas has a reputation for high turnover. Guards leave for better-paying positions once they get experience. Sites sometimes feel understaffed because the company is constantly backfilling departures. The starting pay of $13 an hour is the lowest on this list, and in May 2023, that’s a tough number to live on in Memphis.
Good place to get started and get trained. Probably not where you’ll stay long-term unless they move you into a supervisory role.
Phelps Security
Pay range: $15-19/hr Positions open: Experienced armed and unarmed guards
Phelps has been operating out of their office at 4932 Park Avenue since 1960. That’s 63 years in the Memphis market. They’re family-owned, locally operated, and they have the kind of institutional knowledge that comes from protecting the same neighborhoods for three generations.
Working for Phelps feels different from working for a national chain. The company is small enough that ownership knows its guards by name. Assignments tend to be consistent. You’ll work the same site, get to know the client, build a routine. For guards who value stability and don’t want to get shuffled between locations every few weeks, that matters.
Phelps pays well for the Memphis market. The $15-19 range reflects their preference for hiring experienced guards rather than training newcomers. If you’ve got a clean record, a valid Tennessee armed guard card, and a few years of experience, they want to talk to you. If you’re brand new to the industry with no background, Phelps probably isn’t your first stop.
The limitation is inventory. Phelps doesn’t have 50 open positions at any given time. They hire when they need someone specific for a specific post. Check in with them regularly if you’re interested, because openings fill fast and they don’t always post on the big job boards.
Shield of Steel
Pay range: $15-20/hr Positions open: Armed guards, mobile patrol officers
Shield of Steel is a veteran-owned company that’s been operating since 1998. Their Memphis office is at 2682 Lamar Avenue, and they can be reached at (202) 222-2225 or through their website at shieldofsteel.com. They handle contracts across Tennessee, not just Memphis, with additional operations in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.
The military culture is real, and it shows up in how the company runs day to day. Patrols start on time. Uniforms are squared away. Reports get filed before the shift ends, not two days later. Guards carry GPS tracking on their patrol routes, which means both the client and the company can verify that rounds are being completed as scheduled. That accountability cuts both ways. You can’t slack off on a route and claim you covered it.
Pay is competitive for the Memphis market. The $15-20 range puts them at or above what the nationals are paying for comparable work, and armed guards with military or law enforcement backgrounds can land toward the top of that scale. The veteran-owned identity isn’t just marketing. They actively recruit from the military community and understand the transition from service to civilian security work.
The honest trade-off is company size. Shield of Steel doesn’t have thousands of employees. That means fewer internal positions to move into if you want to climb a corporate ladder. There’s no regional VP track or corporate training academy. What you get instead is direct access to leadership, consistent assignments, and a team that operates more like a unit than a workforce. For some guards, that’s exactly what they want. For others who need a clear promotion path, it might feel limiting.
GardaWorld
Pay range: $14-17/hr Positions open: Distribution center guards, overnight security
GardaWorld is headquartered in Montreal and operates across North America. Their Memphis presence is concentrated in the logistics corridor, where they staff security positions at distribution centers and shipping facilities. If you’ve ordered something online that passed through a Memphis warehouse, there’s a chance a GardaWorld guard was scanning IDs at the employee entrance.
The company offers solid benefits for a security firm: health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plans. Their international scope means there are transfer opportunities if you want to relocate, though most Memphis guards aren’t thinking about a move to Calgary. Retention is better at GardaWorld than at some competitors, partly because the benefits package gives people a reason to stay.
Here’s the catch. Most of GardaWorld’s Memphis openings are overnight shifts. Warehouses run 24/7, and the graveyard shift from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. is the hardest to staff. If you’re a night owl or you need daytime hours free for school or a second job, that schedule might work for you. If you’re looking for a 9-to-5 security post, GardaWorld probably doesn’t have it.
Pay in the $14-17 range is middle of the road. Not bad, not great. The value proposition is really about the benefits and the stability of working for a large international firm.
Before You Apply Anywhere
A few things worth knowing regardless of which company you’re looking at.
Get your Tennessee guard registration. The state requires all security guards to register with the Department of Commerce and Insurance. Unarmed registration requires a background check and basic training. Armed registration adds firearms qualification and additional classroom hours. Some companies will help you through the process. Others expect you to show up with your card already in hand.
Understand the schedule. Security work means nights, weekends, and holidays. Most entry-level positions involve shift work, and you won’t always get your preferred hours right away. Ask about scheduling flexibility during the interview. Find out how much notice they give for shift changes.
Ask about site assignment. Will you be at the same location every shift, or will you float between sites? Some people like variety. Others need the routine of knowing exactly where they’ll be every night. Companies differ on this, and it’s worth asking before you accept an offer.
Check the gear requirements. Some companies provide uniforms and equipment. Others require you to purchase your own boots, belt, and flashlight. Armed positions usually require you to own your own firearm, though policies vary. Clarify this up front so you’re not hit with unexpected costs on your first day.
The Market Isn’t Slowing Down
Memphis’s private security industry has been on a hiring tear for three years running, and the demand side of the equation shows no sign of easing. MPD is still hundreds of officers short. Summer festival season is ramping up. Businesses and property managers keep signing new contracts.
For job seekers, that means options. Five companies are listed here, and there are another dozen smaller firms around Shelby County posting positions right now. The pay still isn’t going to make anyone rich. Starting at $14 an hour in a city where rent has jumped 20% since 2020 is a grind. The companies that figure out they need to pay $18-20 to attract reliable people will win the hiring battle. The ones stuck at $13-14 will keep cycling through new hires every few months.
If you’re weighing your options, visit the sites, talk to guards who already work there, and trust your gut about the culture. The best company for you is the one that pays fairly, treats you like a professional, and doesn’t jerk you around on scheduling.
Memphis needs more security guards this summer. The question is whether the industry can hire them fast enough to keep up.