What take-home for a £33,832 security guard?

On the £33,832 full-time median with a 5% workplace pension, take-home is approximately £26,200/year (about £2,180/month) after 20% Income Tax on pay above £12,570, 8% National Insurance and pension. Much of this pay reflects long 12-hour shift rotas rather than a high base rate.

Do I need an SIA licence to work as a security guard?

Yes for most roles - the Security Industry Authority licence is a legal requirement for front-line guarding, door supervision and CCTV work. A front-line licence costs £190 and lasts three years, on top of the required training course. Some in-house and non-guarding security roles are exempt.

Why do security guards earn above the minimum wage floor full-time?

Not because of high hourly rates, but because of hours. Many security roles run 12-hour shifts on 4-on-4-off patterns, so contracted weekly hours exceed a standard 37.5-hour week. That pushes annual full-time pay to a £33,832 median even where the hourly rate is close to the National Living Wage.

Security Guard Salary 2026/27: What You Take Home

Security guards earn a full-time median of £33,832 (ONS ASHE 2025), typically £24,000 to £45,000 driven mainly by long shift patterns and unsocial-hours premiums. An SIA licence is a legal requirement for most roles. The median sits inside the 20% basic-rate tax band.

Typical pay & take-home

Median gross: £33,832
Typical range: £24,000–£45,000
Take-home at median: £27,879

At the median for this profession, you earn 13% below the UK full-time median (£39,039), placing you in the bottom 37% of UK earners.

See exact take-home for £33,832 →

What influences security guard pay

The ONS ASHE 2025 full-time median for security guards and related occupations was £33,832 (provisional, Table 14.7a Annual pay Gross, SOC 2020 code 9231), with a 10th-to-90th percentile FTE range of £23,794 to £44,793. The reason full-time pay sits above the National Living Wage floor despite modest hourly rates is hours: many security roles run 12-hour shifts across 4-on-4-off patterns, so contracted weekly hours (and therefore annual pay) run well above a standard 37.5-hour week.

A valid SIA (Security Industry Authority) licence is a legal requirement for most guarding, door supervision and CCTV roles - a front-line licence costs £190 for three years plus training. Door supervisors, close protection, and specialist CCTV/control-room operators sit toward the top of the range; static site guarding on standard shifts sits lower. Corporate and data-centre contracts generally pay above retail and construction-site guarding.

A security guard on the £33,832 median is a basic-rate taxpayer: after the £12,570 personal allowance, pay is taxed at 20% Income Tax plus 8% Class 1 NI up to £50,270. Because much of the headline pay comes from long contracted hours rather than base rate, overtime beyond the rota is taxed at the same marginal rate - only pay above £50,270 attracts 40%, which is uncommon in this role.

Career progression

Newly SIA-licensed static guard: £24,000-£28,000.
Experienced site / retail guard (standard shifts): £28,000-£33,000.
Door supervisor / mobile patrol (unsocial-hours premium): £31,000-£38,000.
CCTV / control-room operator or corporate guard: £33,000-£42,000.
Security supervisor / site manager: £38,000-£48,000.

Frequently asked questions

What take-home for a £33,832 security guard?: On the £33,832 full-time median with a 5% workplace pension, take-home is approximately £26,200/year (about £2,180/month) after 20% Income Tax on pay above £12,570, 8% National Insurance and pension. Much of this pay reflects long 12-hour shift rotas rather than a high base rate.
Do I need an SIA licence to work as a security guard?: Yes for most roles - the Security Industry Authority licence is a legal requirement for front-line guarding, door supervision and CCTV work. A front-line licence costs £190 and lasts three years, on top of the required training course. Some in-house and non-guarding security roles are exempt.
Why do security guards earn above the minimum wage floor full-time?: Not because of high hourly rates, but because of hours. Many security roles run 12-hour shifts on 4-on-4-off patterns, so contracted weekly hours exceed a standard 37.5-hour week. That pushes annual full-time pay to a £33,832 median even where the hourly rate is close to the National Living Wage.

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