Security guards and related security service occupations
Also called: Night guard, Plant guard, Convoy guard, Security agent, Security guard, Security officer, Air courier guard, Armoured car guard, Armed security guard, Security investigator, Airport security guard, Security gate attendant
Security guards and workers in related security service occupations guard and implement security measures to protect property against theft, vandalism and fire; to control access to establishments; to maintain order and enforce regulations at public events and within establishments; to perform screening of passengers, luggage or cargo; to conduct private investigations for clients or employers and to provide other protective services not elsewhere classified. They are employed by public or private security agencies, residential complexes, educational, cultural, financial and health institutions, retail establishments, investigation service companies, transportation facilities, and organizations throughout the public and private sectors, or they may be self-employed.
Main tasks
- Security guards
- Control access to establishments, operate security control-room equipment and patrol assigned areas to guard against theft, vandalism and fire
- Enforce regulations to maintain order and resolve conflicts and to monitor establishment activities
- Ensure safety and emergency procedures are followed
- Issue passes and direct visitors to appropriate areas and check age identification of patrons
- Screening officers
- Inspect and screen luggage or cargo using equipment or hands
- Perform searches of passengers with tools or by hand
How to become one
Completion of secondary school is usually required. A college diploma in law and security or police technology may be required. Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) certification is required for screening officers. Security guards carrying firearms require a licence. Armoured car drivers require a valid Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) for both restricted and non-restricted firearms. In Quebec, a permit issued by the Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP) is required to work as a private detective or security officer. Corporate security officers may require experience as a police officer. Private investigators require provincial licensure. Certification for responsible beverage service is mandatory for security staff in establishments serving alcoholic beverages in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Prince Edward Island.
Ways in
- Licence or registration: Security guards carrying firearms require a licence. Armoured car drivers require a valid Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) for both restricted and non-restricted firearms. Private investigators require provincial licensure.
Pay · Outlook
- Median pay: $40,950 a year The middle half earn $35,685 to $48,750.
- About 104,200 people worked in this job in 2023, and about 115,700 are projected by 2033. (+11%)
- Projected labour market to 2033: balance.
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Sources
- Statistics Canada: Census 2021: employment by occupation, gender and education (98-10-0449) (2021 Census), Statistics Canada Open Licence, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Statistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 (Version 1.0), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) (2024 to 2033), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank): Wages by occupation (2025 (revised 2025-11-19)), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03