How To Become a
Full-Time Security
Officer

So, you’re thinking about a career in security, that’s great! It’s a rewarding job in a booming industry.

You might have heard there isn’t full-time security officer work from your friends or during your research and are now wondering if that’s true?

Obviously, you’ve seen guards who only work evenings or weekends, three days a week or four on and four off but perhaps you haven’t heard of many full-time security officers. The security industry is 24/7 which is why it can be a little difficult to know what kind of working arrangements are available.

If you want to become a full-time security officer, there’s definitely jobs available for you in the security industry.

How do you become a full-time security officer?

How long does it take? What do you have to study and how much do you make?

What does a full-time security officer do?

A full-time security officer will work under a full- time contract with leave and sick pay. They will do a standard 38 hour week though they may have to do overtime sometimes and their schedule may change depending on where they work.

What would your schedule look like?

The hours that a full-time security officer works really depend on which industry they work in and what job they have. For example, a full-time security guard working for a library might work 8am – 4pm Monday to Friday, while someone working for the hospital might do a rotating roster of 6pm – 6am, 3 – 4 days per week. The days might change, or the hours might change on a rotating roster with another casual or full-time security officer. Like the industry itself, your schedule can vary greatly.

Where can a full-time security officer work?

They employ security officers in every industry for different roles. You might work as a hotel concierge, or in the emergency department of the hospital. You could work in a shopping centre or at a gatehouse. You may end up doing roving security guard work moving through different locations performing checks and patrols of buildings.

There is a security job to suit everyone out there.

How much does a full-time security officer get paid?

Unless your company has an enterprise bargaining agreement or EBA, you’ll be paid under the Security Services Industry Award. A security officer working at a level 1 full-time, Monday to Friday daytime hours makes $22.84 per hour and $868 per week.

However, if you work nights or weekends or if you have shift work that gives you less than an 8 hour break between shifts, or you work overtime you’ll earn more per hour. The hourly rate for Monday to Friday night work is $29.69 and the rate for working a Sunday is $45.68 per hour.

So provided you’re interested in taking some night work, weekend work or shift work you can earn good money.

How do you become a full-time security officer?

Security officers need to complete training and get a licence to be able to work in the industry. We’ve outlined the process you will need to follow below.

Step 1 Research

Before you delve into applications for enrolment, course dates and funding, make sure security is the right career move for you!

This is a diverse industry and there are all kinds of roles out there but to really understand what will be expected of you, it’s a good idea to speak with our trainers and career advisors on security careers.

Step 2 The Course

After doing your research and you’ve decided this is the career path for you. congratulations! Security is an exciting and varied career where you get to actually help people and it can be so rewarding. But what now?

The next step is complete a CPP20218 Certificate II in Security Operations.

This course runs for approximately 10 days in a face to face workshop. It costs $1,099

Step 3 Getting your licence

Once you have completed your course, you’ll need to apply for your unarmed security guard licence through the Office of Fair Trading. To do this you will need to wait 10 – 14 business days for ATA to send out your certificate. Then complete the application. This application can take between one and three months to be processed depending on how many applications are pending at the time.

Step 4 Getting the Job

Once you’ve completed your course and you have your licence, you are ready to rock and roll!

Check out our other blogs for tips and trick, and speak to your trainer and ATA team about any possible opportunities.