How Much Do Security Guards Earn Per Hour in NSW in 2026?

A licensed security guard working in NSW is paid under the same national award as every other state — the Security Services Industry Award 2020 [MA000016] — so there is no separate NSW pay scale. A full-time or part-time Security Officer Level 1 earns a minimum of $28.42 an hour from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, and a casual at that entry level earns $35.53 an hour once the 25 per cent casual loading is added.

The qualification behind that work in NSW is the same CPP20218 Certificate II in Security Operations that sits behind the licence nationally, but the licensing path is different — NSW guards register through the Security Industry Registry (SIR) rather than a state police licensing division. This guide sets out the award classifications and 2026–27 hourly rates, what weekend, night and public holiday penalties add, what NSW job ads are showing, and how the classification scale moves pay up from the entry rate.

Which award covers security guards in NSW

Private security work across Australia, including NSW, falls under the Security Services Industry Award 2020 [MA000016], a national modern award administered by the Fair Work Ombudsman. It is not a state-based instrument — the same classifications, rates and penalty structure apply whether a guard works in Sydney, Melbourne or regional NSW. It covers security officers, crowd controllers, patrol and mobile response staff, cash-in-transit guards and monitoring-centre operators. Some employers pay under an enterprise agreement that sits above the award minimum, so confirm which instrument applies to a specific job using Fair Work’s Find my award tool.

The award only sets pay — it does not authorise you to work. To perform licensed security work in NSW you also need a current security licence, and registering on the Security Industry Registry is part of that process. Licence classes and renewal rules change from time to time, so confirm current requirements with the NSW regulator before planning around them; ALIT’s guide to the NSW Security Industry Registry (SIR) walks through registration and what to expect.

Minimum hourly rates from 1 July 2026

The rates below are the award’s adult minimums, read from the Fair Work pay guide effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, when the 2025–26 Annual Wage Review increase took effect. The hourly rate is the minimum weekly rate divided by a 38-hour full-time week, and casual figures are the award’s own published rates including the 25 per cent loading. These apply identically in NSW, Victoria and every other state covered by the award.

Award minimums are reissued each July after the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review, so treat this as the 2026–27 snapshot and check the current Fair Work pay guide before relying on a figure for a payroll decision or a job offer.

Casual pay and the 25 per cent loading

Most entry-level security shifts advertised in NSW are casual roles. A casual is paid the classification hourly rate plus a 25 per cent loading in place of paid annual leave, notice and redundancy pay, which is why Level 1 starts at $35.53 rather than $28.42. The award’s casual penalty percentages already build that 25 points in, and penalties are calculated on the base rate before the loading applies, so a casual guard working nights and weekends in Sydney is paid well above the headline casual rate.

What nights, weekends and public holidays add

Rosters, not the base rate, decide most of a security guard’s actual pay. Under the award’s penalty rates clause, ordinary hours attract the following percentages of the minimum hourly rate:

Overtime sits on top of that: the first two hours on a Monday to Saturday attract 150 per cent and any hours after that 200 per cent, Sunday overtime is 200 per cent all day, and public holiday overtime is 250 per cent. A guard who takes evening and weekend shifts in NSW earns considerably more than the base hourly rate suggests, and permanent night work carries its own higher rate rather than a one-off loading.

What NSW employers are advertising

Advertised rates run above the award floor. Job boards in late 2026 showed security officer listings across Sydney and regional NSW generally above the Level 1 award minimum once casual loading and shift patterns are built in, with supervisory and specialist roles paid higher again. Treat an advertised figure as an indication rather than a guarantee: check whether it is casual or permanent, whether it already assumes weekend or night shifts, and which award classification the employer is actually hiring at.

What moves your rate up

The certificate does not set the rate — the classification, the roster and the covering agreement do. Four things move a security guard’s pay up the scale in NSW:

• Classification level. The jump from Level 1 to Level 5 is a progression built on responsibility: guarding and access control, then control-room duties, supervising officers, and finally coordinating operations.
• Shift pattern. Nights, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are paid at premium percentages, so two guards on the same classification can take home very different weekly pay.
• Qualification and licence. CPP20218 Certificate II in Security Operations feeds the licensing pathway nationally, and its units open up higher-responsibility shifts that pay more. ALIT delivers it in a blended format at West Melbourne; the cost page sets out the fees as the course structures them.
• Employer type and agreements. Larger providers and enterprise agreements often pay above the award, so comparing specific offers matters more than comparing certificates.

If you are weighing NSW security work against another state, the award logic is the same everywhere because it is a single national instrument. ALIT’s comparison of security guard pay in Victoria shows the identical rate table in a different state, and the guide to applying for a security licence in NSW after Cert II Security is the natural next step.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a security guard earn per hour in NSW?

The award minimum is $28.42 an hour for a full-time or part-time Security Officer Level 1 from 1 July 2026, and $35.53 an hour as a casual including the 25 per cent loading. Higher classifications run to $31.20 an hour full-time and $39.00 casual at Level 5, before any penalties.

Is the NSW rate different from other states?

No. The Security Services Industry Award 2020 is a national award, so classification rates and penalty percentages are identical in NSW, Victoria and every other state. What differs is the licensing scheme — NSW guards register through the Security Industry Registry.

Do weekends and nights really change the total?

Yes. Saturdays pay 150 per cent for permanent staff and 175 per cent for casuals, Sundays 200 and 225 per cent, and public holidays 250 and 275 per cent — a weekend-heavy roster lands well above ordinary-time pay.

Do I need more than the qualification to be paid these rates?

You need both: the qualification that leads to licensing, and the licence itself to do the work. Employers pay award rates for licensed roles, and the qualification makes you eligible for the shift types and classifications that carry higher pay.

Where should I check the current rates?

Use the Fair Work pay guide for the Security Services Industry Award 2020, which is updated each July, and confirm the classification and any enterprise agreement with the employer before accepting an offer.

The qualification behind the rate

ALIT’s CPP20218 Certificate II in Security Operations is the entry qualification feeding the national licensing pathway, delivered in a blended format at the West Melbourne campus over 18 days for the standard program. Enrolments are open — confirm the next start date with ALIT before making plans around it.