A new UC Berkeley Labor Center study reveals that New York City’s 81,900 security officers are being paid far below what it takes to survive in one of the most expensive cities in the world. The median annual income for officers is just $40,311, less than 40% of the city’s area median income. More than 80% of security officers are paid under the $32.85 hourly living wage. Despite working full-time, many officers lack employer health insurance. As a result, high turnover is rampant, undermining both worker well-being and public safety.

The report highlights deep racial and gender wage disparity: the industry pays Black officers $19.06 an hour on average while it pays white officers more than $30. Women are paid less than men across the board. Let’s be clear, the industry pays no single group of security officers enough. With 90% of officers being workers of color and nearly half immigrants, the crisis is as much about racial and economic justice as it is about New Yorkers’ safety. As 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich put it: “This is a public safety, economic, and racial justice issue. We can and must do better by New Yorkers who help keep our city safe.”