Licensed security officers in the UK earn just 76 pence above the National Living Wage — despite holding a formal SIA licence, undergoing criminal background checks, accepting personal legal liability for every decision made on shift, and regularly working 12-hour shifts alone in environments involving aggression, physical confrontation, and genuine physical danger.

The current wage floor does not reflect the demands of the role. The consequences are measurable and serious. First-time SIA licence applications fell 16% in a single year. The share of young people entering the profession has collapsed from 22% to 5% in two years. The profession is losing its next generation because the financial case for entering it does not reflect what it demands.

The Republic of Ireland introduced a security-specific minimum wage of €15.41 per hour in July 2025 — above their national minimum — recognising security work as "difficult and important." The UK has no equivalent protection.

We are calling on the UK Government to introduce a security-specific minimum wage of £13.50 per hour for licensed security officers — a rate already being paid by the professional employers in this sector who understand what the role is worth.