Security guards and related occupations Pay Data UK — 2025

Security guards and related occupations roles in the UK earn a median of £34,500 per year, equivalent to £15.04 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 13.6% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £29,000 in North East to £37,500 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £33,832/yr (2% above our computed national average).

Labour Market

Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.

Pay by Region

Annual pay for Security guards and related occupations across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.

Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).

How Pay Has Changed Over Time

Annual pay grew by +13.6% from 2024 to 2025.

National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.

Year-on-Year Pay Change

Annual percentage change in median pay for Security guards and related occupations.

Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.

About Security guards and related occupations

Security guards and related occupations protect merchandise, individuals, hotels, offices, factories, shops, public grounds and private estates from injury, theft or damage.

Typical Tasks and Duties

• walks or rides near person requiring protection, watches for suspicious occurrences and defends guarded person from attack
• monitors, patrols and deals with security difficulties in hotels, factories, offices and other premises, and public or private estates to prevent theft and unauthorised entry
• checks persons and vehicles entering and leaving premises, establishes their credentials and arranges for escorts for visitors
• provides entry security, checks tickets, manages queues, takes entry fees, and escorts people from the premises where necessary in a variety of public venues such as nightclubs, pubs and bars
• receives duty sheet, time-clock and keys for premises to be visited, checks locks, doors, windows, etc. and reports any suspicious circumstances to security headquarters
• calls in civil police and gives evidence in court where necessary
• ejects persons in illegal occupation of premises
• watches for illegal fishing or attempted smuggling
• patrols airport, checks passengers baggage, operates metal detectors and x-rays and assists in responding to emergency situations
• greets and organises people attending court cases, ensures necessary parties are present, calls defendants and witnesses, directs oath taking and keeps order in the courtroom

Entry Routes and Qualifications

There are no formal academic entry requirements. For some vacancies a current and clean driving licence is required and entrants may have to pass a medical examination. Training is typically provided on-the-job. NVQs/SVQs covering various aspects of security guarding are available at level 2.

Related Occupations

Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.