Night Shift Security Officer

When everyone is asleep, the night security officer makes sure that businesses are safe and protected. It’s an essential part of security and helps businesses prevent theft and vandalism. The job demands alertness and the ability to detect suspicious behaviour quickly. You also have to be trustworthy. You could be responsible for locking and opening up the business you’re protecting.

Wage rate hourly

From £12.50 to £18.00
(usually includes weekends)

Total Cost

Between £350 and £440 including your licence fee

Typical hours

20 to 48 hours a week (usually includes weekends)

Requirements

Door Supervisor Licence or Security Guard Licence

Learn How Download career guide

How to become a Night Shift Security Officer

Becoming a Night Shift Security Officer is a great way to open the door to the working world of security. Before you can get a job like this though, you need the relevant license. Two licenses are suggested for this position; the SIA Door Supervisor License or the SIA Security Guard License.

Both of these licenses will equip you with the skills that you need to work as a Night Shift Security Officer. They will help you learn about the essentials of security and how to efficiently carry out your role. Keep in mind that the better qualified you are, the more likely it is you’ll earn a better wage.

Course cost

A Security Guard Course is a four-day course, and costs £179.99.

The SIA Door Supervisor Course starts at £199.99, and takes six days in order to cover advanced security techniques that apply to a wide range of situations. For only an extra £20 and two more days, it’s often best to get a broad range of security skills. The Door Supervisor Course also helps you get licensed for venues where alcohol is served.

There is also a license fee to pay the SIA after your training. It costs £190.00, but your security license is valid for three years.

You can apply and pay for your license at a local post office or online. The total cost of the course and the license is £439.99.

Legal Requirements

The SIA license requires you to:

Be over 18 years of age
Have proof that you are allowed to work in the UK ( such as a visa)
A criminal background check
A mental health check
Have passed your SIA course

Become a Night Shift Security Officer

Start a successful career as a Night Shift Security Officer by following these steps:

Book your Door Supervisor course or Security Guard

This is the first step to become a Night Shift Security Officer.

Pass the course

Can consist of multiple choice exams and includes a physical assessment.

Apply for your SIA Licence

You can apply for your licence through the post office after passing the course.

Apply for jobs in your area

Once you have your licence, you can start applying for Night Shift Security Officer jobs in your area.

Course price from

£189.99

Licence fee

£204

Valid for

3 years

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Typical job description and responsibilities

The Night Shift Security Officer has a very important job, and is expected to be able to remain alert and focused during nighttime hours. Most businesses are vulnerable at night, and count on the security systems that they have in place to keep their premises safe. However, even with these systems, they can still fall victim to theft. The Night Shift Security Officer adds an extra layer of security that gives business owners confidence. You can expect to be on your feet regularly, because patrols of the site will be part of your responsibilities.

Make sure to get familiar with the building you’re protecting, so you’re aware of where the points of risk are. In some cases, you’ll be one of a team of security officers, but there’s also a chance that you could be posted to protect a smaller business by yourself. It all depends on the job you choose.

Following training for this role, you will be equipped with the skills to:

Conduct regular area patrols
Detect suspicious behavior
Supervise and control access to your assigned location
Effectively monitor alarm systems

Night Shift Security Officers are also responsible for:

Completing security documentation
Monitoring CCTV activity (for which you need an SIA CCTV Operator Licence)
Communicating clearly with staff at all levels of the organisation

Working Conditions

You need to be able to stay alert during the hours that most people are asleep. The lack of night sleep, combined with long hours and patrols, means it’s a good idea to be in peak physical shape.

When working as part of a security team, shifts may be established so that you can have some time off to rest your eyes, but in an emergency you should be able to respond quickly.

Skills and personal qualities required:

A Night Shift Security Officer needs to be:

Detail-oriented
Physically fit
A quick problem solver
Able to quickly communicate with the rest of the team and coordinate
Able to follow the correct security procedures
Knowledgeable of licensing laws and health and safety regulations
Able to write incident reports

Education required

This is a position that may require you to constantly communicate with the rest of your team and so it's very important that you have the right English language skills. While GCSEs are not officially required, English language skills are also important since you will be required to write reports regularly.

Benefits of the job:

Increased earnings as you become more trusted
Developing real investigative skills
Learning more about security monitoring systems
Learning how to respond to emergencies
Develop observational skills
Learn about people skills
Learn to keep your concentration even when you are tired

How much does a Night Shift Security Officer actually earn

Wage rate and hours

In the security industry, you often find your wages go up over time as you prove your skills and how much you can be trusted on the job. You will also have a high level of access to the building you provide security to, at a time when there aren’t many, if any, employees around.

Most Night Shift Security Officers work 12-hour shifts, on four days on, four days off rotation. You can also expect to work between 28 to 40 hours a week, and some of your hours could fall on the weekend. In many rotations, your shift will start at 1900 and end at 0700.

How much does a Night Security Officer earn?

There is a good opportunity for growth in this kind of security work. You can expect to start making around £9.50 an hour when you first begin your job. As you gain the necessary experience, or add skills to your CV with other security training courses, that’s likely to increase to about £13.00 an hour. The more years you can spend with a client, the better chances you have of a higher wage.

The table below shows how much you could earn:

Experience	Hourly	Typical weekly (40 hours)	Typical annually (40 hours per week)
Starter	£9.50 to £11	£380 to £440	£19, 760- £22, 880
Mid-level	£11 to £13	£440 to £520	£22, 880 - £27, 040
Head	£13+	£500+	£27, 040+

There’s real potential for more earning power as time passes and your employer trusts you more. It’s also a way into the security industry that you can use to train yourself in the ways of working in this sector. When starting out at about £9.50 an hour, you can expect an annual salary of at least £19,760. Over time you can get to the point where you receive about £13.00 an hour, and an annual salary of about £27,000 for full-time work.