Security Guard Salary in South West
Official ONS earnings for South West, covering 7,000 jobs.
Median salary — South West
£27,494
gross, per year, all employees
▼ 5% change on the previous year
Mean
£25,691
Jobs measured
7,000
What a typical security guard takes home
On the median of £27,494, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,943
Take-home a year
£23,315
Income Tax
£2,985
National Insurance
£1,194
What most security guards actually earn
Half of security guards across the UK earn between £23,166 and £39,193. Earning above £39,193 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
This range is UK-wide — ONS publishes no regional breakdown of the spread for this occupation.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of security guards earn less than this.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Security guards and related occupations
- SOC 2020 code
- 9231
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2026 provisional
ONS publishes a sampling error of 13.9% for this figure and asks that anything above 10% is treated as imprecise — too few people in this region answered the survey for this occupation. The figure is shown because it is the one ONS published, but it is not firm enough to rank South West against anywhere else, so this page doesn't.
ONS doesn't measure “security guard” as its own category. These figures are for the wider group “Security guards and related occupations”, which includes this role alongside others. ONS group covers security guards and related occupations.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Security Guard salary FAQs
What is the average Security Guard salary in South West?
The median is £27,494 a year and the mean is £25,691, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a security guard earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £14.72 excluding overtime, or £15.25 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for South West.
What is a good Security Guard salary?
Half of security guards earn between £23,166 and £39,193. Anything above £39,193 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a security guard?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of security guards earn under £8,465 and the lowest quarter under £23,166 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
How much do the highest-paid security guards earn?
The top 10% of security guards earn more than £44,857 a year, and the top quarter more than £39,193. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do security guards in South West earn more than the UK average?
The median in South West is £27,494 against £31,883 across the UK, 13.8% lower. ONS marks the South West figure as imprecise, so treat the gap as indicative.
Has security guard pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at -5.0% for this occupation in South West. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many security guards are there in South West?
ASHE counts around 7,000 employee jobs in “Security guards and related occupations” (SOC 9231) in South West. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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