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Physical Security Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

What The Role Entails The Physical Security Engineer (PSE) position is part of the CloudHQ Data Center Operations team. The PSE shall report to the Security Program Manager and provide support and ...

What The Role Entails The Physical Security Engineer (PSE) position is part of the CloudHQ Data Center Operations team. The PSE shall report to the Security Program Manager and provide support and ...

What The Role Entails The Physical Security Engineer (PSE) position is part of the CloudHQ Data Center Operations team. The PSE shall report to the Security Program Manager and provide support and ...

Showing results 21-40

Physical Security information

See Virginia salary details

$13

$31

$55

How much do physical security jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 9, 2026, the average hourly pay for physical security in Virginia is $31.35, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.44 and $42.40 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some typical challenges faced by professionals in physical security roles, and how can they be addressed?

Professionals in physical security roles often encounter challenges such as adapting to evolving security threats, managing access control effectively, and coordinating with multiple departments during emergencies. Staying updated on the latest security technologies and protocols is crucial to mitigate risks. Building strong communication skills and participating in regular training exercises can help address these challenges, while fostering close collaboration with IT, facilities, and emergency response teams enhances overall security preparedness.

What does physical security do?

Physical security involves protecting people, property, and assets from unauthorized access, theft, vandalism, and harm. It includes measures such as security personnel, access controls, surveillance systems, and safety protocols to maintain a secure environment. Security professionals often monitor premises, enforce security policies, and respond to incidents to ensure safety.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in a physical security role, and why are they important?

Success in Physical Security requires knowledge of security protocols, risk assessment, and often a background in criminal justice or security-related certifications. Familiarity with surveillance systems, access control software, and alarm monitoring technology is commonly expected. Strong observational skills, integrity, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for identifying threats and collaborating with team members. These abilities are vital to protect people, property, and sensitive information from physical threats and breaches.

What is physical security?

Physical security refers to the measures and protocols put in place to protect people, property, and physical assets from unauthorized access, theft, vandalism, or other physical threats. This can include barriers like locks, fences, security guards, surveillance cameras, and access control systems. Physical security is crucial for preventing loss, ensuring safety, and supporting overall organizational security strategies. It often works in tandem with cybersecurity to provide comprehensive protection for companies and individuals.

What is the difference between Physical Security vs Security Guard?

AspectPhysical SecuritySecurity Guard
CertificationsSecurity certifications, sometimes specialized in physical securitySecurity guard licenses, state-specific
Work EnvironmentBuildings, facilities, event venues, often involves access controlPatrols, monitoring entrances, responding to incidents
Employer & IndustryCorporations, government, private security firmsSecurity companies, retail, corporate sites
Job FocusPreventing unauthorized access, safeguarding assetsMonitoring premises, maintaining safety, deterring threats

Physical Security encompasses a broad range of measures and roles aimed at protecting assets and facilities, often involving specialized systems and protocols. Security Guards are a key component of physical security, primarily responsible for patrolling, monitoring, and responding to security incidents. While both roles overlap, physical security professionals may also include security system installation and risk assessment, whereas security guards focus on on-site presence and immediate threat response.

What are physical security jobs?

Physical security jobs focus on providing security for people or facilities. The duties and responsibilities of someone who works in physical security include working to monitor surveillance equipment or guard a place or person. People in this profession are called security guards or security agents. Security consultants may review current security measures and practices and recommend a new alarm system or other security measures and strategies. A security engineer may design or plan a complete security system meant to protect and secure a building or area. A director of physical security oversees all security operations.

What are the most commonly searched types of Physical Security jobs in Virginia? The most popular types of Physical Security jobs in Virginia are:
What cities in Virginia are hiring for Physical Security jobs? Cities in Virginia with the most Physical Security job openings:
Infographic showing various Physical Security job openings in Virginia as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 73% Full Time, 21% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $65,208 per year, or $31.4 per hour.

Senior Physical Security Specialist , AWS Security

Amazon

Arlington, VA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 17 days ago


Amazon rating

7.4

Company rating: 7.4 out of 10

Based on 7,069 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

6th of 39 rated national retailers


Job description

As a Senior Physical Security Specialist on the AWS Security's Assessments, Risk Guidance, and Outcomes (ARGO) team, you'll lead the strategy and execution of physical security assessments across AWS's worldwide infrastructure expansion portfolio, shaping how we secure facilities before they're built and as they operate.
This isn't a desk job with a narrow lane. You'll be the domain expert driving physical security risk reduction at global scale, conducting field and desktop assessments, developing control strategies tailored to unique operating environments, and advising senior leaders on how expansion decisions impact AWS's security posture. Your work directly enables AWS to grow safely into new regions and facility types.
You'll own the full physical security assessment lifecycle-from analysis, design through execution, reporting, and mitigation tracking
You'll build mechanisms and tools that make physical security delivery faster and more consistent across the organization
You'll influence without authority; leading cross-functional initiatives by earning trust through the quality of your analysis and recommendations
You'll operate with high autonomy, making expert judgment calls on when to escalate, when to act, and when to recommend patience
You'll bridge physical security, infrastructure design, and business risk into integrated assessments that no single-domain specialist could produce alone
If you thrive on solving complex problems on a global scale, want your expertise to directly shape how one of the world's most critical infrastructures is secured, and value a role where your judgment genuinely matters - this is it.
Key job responsibilities
Lead comprehensive physical security assessments across varying facility types and geographic regions using desktop and field research
Define and maintain the overall physical security assessment strategy; ensuring methodologies stay current, standards-aware, and consistently applied across infrastructure types and project timelines
Conduct security risk analysis for new and existing infrastructure; identifying vulnerabilities, evaluating physical security factors, and developing risk reduction strategies for unique operating environments
Develop and implement physical security control strategies that balance security requirements against operational and business needs
Build repeatable processes, tools, and mechanisms that increase speed and consistency of physical security delivery across the organization
Communicate assessment findings and recommendations to diverse audiences; from practitioners to senior executives - through written reports, presentations, and direct engagement
Lead project and program execution across the physical security portfolio; managing stakeholders, tracking milestones, and driving efforts to completion
Coordinate transfer of physical security responsibility from project delivery teams to long-term operational owners
Evaluate security implications of technology projects and infrastructure changes from a physical security perspective
Ability to travel internationally for up to 25% of the year.
About the team
Why Amazon Security
At Amazon, security is central to maintaining customer trust and delivering delightful customer experiences. Our organization is responsible for creating and maintaining a high bar for security across all of Amazon's products and services. We offer talented security professionals the chance to accelerate their careers with opportunities to build experience in a wide variety of areas including cloud, devices, retail, entertainment, healthcare, operations, and physical stores.
Diverse Experiences
Amazon Security values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn't followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don't let it stop you from applying.
Work/Life Balance
We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why flexible work hours and arrangements are part of our culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there's nothing we can't achieve.
Inclusive Team Culture
In Amazon Security, it's in our nature to learn and be curious. Ongoing DEI events and learning experiences inspire us to continue learning and to embrace our uniqueness. Addressing the toughest security challenges requires that we seek out and celebrate a diversity of ideas, perspectives, and voices.
Mentorship and Career growth
We're continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth's Best Employer. That's why you'll find endless knowledge-sharing, training, and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in risk assessment and enabling organizations to make security decisions
- Experience communicating and presenting to senior leadership
- Experience conducting physical security risk assessments across multiple infrastructure types or geographic regions using structured methodologies
- 7+ years of experience in physical security assessment, physical security program management, or a closely related field (e.g., critical infrastructure protection, industrial security design)
- Bachelor's degree in security management, risk management, engineering, or a related discipline (or equivalent professional experience)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience writing and publishing technical documents or equivalent
- Experience in physical security best practices including application of physical security systems, investigation techniques, management of contract security guards and incident management
- Experience in a data center or other critical environment
- Professional certification in physical security (e.g., CPP, PSP, or equivalent)
- Experience in physical Red Team assessments and evaluations
- Experience working across multiple international regions with an understanding of how local security dynamics influence physical security design
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you're applying in isn't listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, VA, Arlington - 119,300.00 - 208,900.00 USD annually

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About Amazon

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Amazon.com, Inc., commonly known as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company. It was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and initially started as an online marketplace for books. Since then, Amazon has expanded its operations and become one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world. Amazon's primary business is its online retail platform, where customers can purchase a vast array of products, including electronics, clothing, books, home goods, and much more. The company offers a convenient and user-friendly shopping experience, with features such as fast shipping, customer reviews, and personalized recommendations. In addition to its e-commerce platform, Amazon has diversified its business into various other areas. One of its notable ventures is Amazon Web Services (AWS), a comprehensive cloud computing platform that provides services such as storage, compute power, and database management to individuals and businesses. AWS has become a leader in the cloud computing industry, powering many websites and applications worldwide. Amazon has also developed its own consumer electronics, including the popular Amazon Kindle e-reader, Fire tablets, Fire TV streaming devices, and the Alexa-powered Echo smart speakers. The Alexa voice assistant, integrated into these devices, allows users to interact with their devices using voice commands, perform tasks, and access information. Furthermore, Amazon has expanded into media and entertainment. It operates Prime Video, a streaming service that offers a wide range of movies, TV shows, and original content. Amazon Music provides a platform for streaming and purchasing digital music, while Audible offers audiobooks and other audio content. The company's commitment to customer satisfaction and convenience is demonstrated by its membership program, Amazon Prime. Prime members receive various benefits, including free two-day shipping, access to streaming services, exclusive deals, and more.

Industry

It services, book publishers, retail, real estate and computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Seattle, WA, US