Security guard: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Security guards and related occupations (SOC 9231)
About £28,961 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +4.5% on last year
£2,945 a month About £2,413 a month after tax 81 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £25,678 in 2021 to £35,336 in 2026 (+38%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £17,990 | £20,906 | £25,678 | £30,340 | £34,998 |
| 2022 | £18,840 | £22,147 | £26,498 | £31,000 | x |
| 2023 | x | £23,549 | £28,769 | £33,653 | x |
| 2024 | £22,278 | £25,443 | £30,343 | £36,151 | x |
| 2025 | £23,710 | £27,828 | £33,829 | £39,100 | £44,799 |
| 2026 | £25,628 | £30,148 | £35,336 | £41,040 | £46,653 |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £35,336 a year and half earn more. That is 14% less than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £30,148 and £41,040; the middle 80% between £25,628 and £46,653.
Ranked by median, it is number 207 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £2,413 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £2,412 in Scotland.
The median for men is £35,238 and for women £35,612, a gap of 1% in women's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £25,628 | £2,136 |
| 20th | £28,697 | £2,391 |
| 25th (P25) | £30,148 | £2,512 |
| 30th | £30,997 | £2,583 |
| 40th | £33,245 | £2,770 |
| Median (50th) | £35,336 | £2,945 |
| 60th | £37,517 | £3,126 |
| 70th | £39,808 | £3,317 |
| 75th (P75) | £41,040 | £3,420 |
| 80th | £42,534 | £3,544 |
| 90th (P90) | £46,653 | £3,888 |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £35,238 | £35,562 | 67 |
| Women | £35,612 | £35,708 | 14 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £28,961 | £2,413 |
| Scotland | £28,943 | £2,412 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £35,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 109 job titles to SOC 9231 Security guards and related occupations. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Airport security agent
- Assistant
- Aviation security agent
- Aviation security officer
- Bank guard
- Beach inspector
- Body guard
- Bodyguard
- Bouncer
- Branch officer
- CCTV monitoring officer
- CCTV operative
- CCTV operator
- Chief security officer
- Civilian custodian
- Close circuit television operator
- Close protection officer
- Community alarm officer
- Constable
- Control room operator
- Court attendant
- Court enforcement officer
- Court security officer
- Court usher
- Covid marshall
- Custodian
- Custody assistant
- Custody detention officer
- Custody guard
- Custody officer
- Detainee custody officer
- Detective
- Detention custody officer
- Detention officer
- Door keeper
- Door man
- Door receptionist
- Door supervisor
- Doorman
- Enforcement officer
- Environmental enforcement officer
- Field monitoring officer
- Fire warden
- Fire watcher
- Foreman
- Garage warden
- Gate attendant
- Gate checker
- Gate house keeper
- Gate keeper
- Gate porter
- Gatekeeper
- Gateman
- Guard
- Hotel detective
- Investigating officer
- Investigation officer
- Legal agent
- Lodge attendant
- Lodge keeper
Show all 109 titles
- Lodge man
- Lodge porter
- Loss prevention officer
- Market constable
- Messenger at arms
- Mobile response officer
- Museum assistant
- Night guard
- Night watcher
- Nightwatchman
- Officer
- Patrol
- Patrol inspector
- Patrol officer
- Patrolman
- Police officer
- Process server
- Security
- Security agent
- Security assistant
- Security attendant
- Security colleague
- Security controller
- Security guard
- Security man
- Security officer
- Security operative
- Security patrol officer
- Security porter
- Security receptionist
- Security sergeant
- Security supervisor
- Security warden
- Securityman
- Sheriff officer
- Ship keeper
- Ship watcher
- Store detective
- Street ranger
- Town centre ranger
- Van guard
- Visitor services attendant
- Warden
- Warder
- Warrant officer
- Watchman
- Witness
- Works guard
- Yeoman warder
Similar occupations
All jobs in Elementary occupations
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.