‘Should I just work as a security guard?’ Man asks after job hunting for months and only getting low offers

SINGAPORE: “Should I just work as a security guard?” This was one man’s question after being offered only S$2,200 in his industry because he had no experience.

Sharing on r/askSingapore, he said he found security officer positions offering between S$2,600 and S$3,000, plus a “decent salary increment according to rank”.

While he knew the job demands long hours and shift work, he said he couldn’t help but consider the security field after months of job hunting, and rejections left him exhausted.

Asking if he should jump ship, he asked other security officers online for their thoughts.

Commenters said the security field is indeed a good option for those looking for a quick source of income, but some warned that it could be a dead end with little room for career progression or transferable experience.

Others, meanwhile, questioned how much the advertised raise would amount to in the long run, pointing to older security guards who have spent decades in the industry yet “earning terribly”.

In October last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced a three-year schedule of sustained wage increases from Jan 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2028 for more than 7,600 full- and part-time in-house security officers.

Starting this year, about 1,500 full-time officers saw their wages rise to at least the new entry-level PWM rate of S$2,475, with the baseline monthly gross wage increasing by S$160 each year to S$2,795 by 2028. However, salaries for senior security supervisors will be “left to market forces,” the ministry said. For the complete updated wage schedule, check here. 

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) also announced in July that from 2029, the minimum annual leave entitlement for outsourced workers covered by the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), which includes those working in the security field, will increase from seven days to 10 days. The ministry said it will implement the change progressively from 2029 onwards to give businesses sufficient time to adjust.

In November last year, a Singaporean also started applying for security jobs after being laid off from his S$8,000-a-month job. /TISG

Read also: ‘I got laid off from my S$8K/mth job and lost $12K/mth side hustles to foreigners’ — SG tech professional says he now has to ‘apply for security guard jobs’