Security officers' median basic monthly pay up $120 from 2018: Poll

The median basic pay of security officers has increased by $120 to $1,420 a month compared with two years ago, according to a recent survey of the industry.

The survey by the Union of Security Employees and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) was conducted in January and February this year. A total of 707 security officers were interviewed in a random sampling.

During a virtual media briefing yesterday, SUSS' Associate Professor Leong Chan-Hoong, who led the survey, said the median basic pay of respondents is higher than the $1,300 cited in a Ministry of Manpower survey in 2018.

The median basic pay excludes overtime wages and allowances.

Under the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), the lowest-ranking security officer must be paid a basic wage of at least $1,250 this year. A senior security officer must be paid $1,420 and the highest-ranking security officer, or a senior security supervisor, must be paid at least $1,820.

The PWM came into effect in September 2016, and is a licensing requirement for all security agencies. It covers all Singapore citizens and permanent residents.

Meanwhile, the survey also found that about a quarter of security officers' median monthly take-home pay of $1,975 after Central Provident Fund deductions comes from overtime wages.

Security officers who were surveyed said they put in an average of 11 hours of work a day, and between 56 and 58 hours a week.

The survey also found that more than eight in 10 security officers feel satisfied with their job, and more than seven in 10 said they enjoy what they do.

More than nine in 10 of overall respondents said they are comfortable with using technology or security systems in their workplace.

There are around 50,000 security officers in Singapore, and nearly 250 security agencies.