SOC 9231 Elementary administration and service occupations

Security guards and related occupations Salary

Median salary £30,819 per year (2025). Based on ONS ASHE data.

Gross pay, before deductions. See take-home pay on £31,000 after tax and National Insurance →

For security guards and related occupations, £33,832 is the typical (median) pay. That is below the UK full-time median of £39,039 — -13% versus the national average. Experienced security guards and related occupations (top 25%) earn over £37,905.

About this role

Window cleaners clean the exterior and interior windows of residential, commercial and high-rise buildings. They use traditional methods (ladders, squeegees) and water-fed pole systems, working at height on buildings of all sizes.

Key responsibilities

Cleaning windows on residential and commercial buildings
Operating water-fed pole and reach-and-wash systems
Working from ladders, cradles and rope access equipment
Maintaining equipment and managing cleaning solutions
Managing customer relationships and scheduling rounds

Qualifications and entry routes

No formal qualifications required. Working at height training and IPAF (for elevated platforms) or IRATA (for rope access) certifications for high-rise work. Many are self-employed.

Career outlook

Self-employment opportunities with relatively low barriers to entry. Rope access and high-rise specialists command higher earnings.

Key skills

Working at height Physical fitness Customer service Self-management Equipment maintenance

Common industries

Domestic window cleaning
Commercial cleaning
High-rise building maintenance
Facilities management
Self-employed services

Data coverage

SOC code 9231

Data source ONS ASHE

Years available 2015–2025

Estimated jobs 93,000

Median Salary

£30,819

Mean Salary

£29,546

Jobs (000s)

93k

Data Years

11 years

Salary Range (2025)

P10: £11kP25: £23kMedian: £31kP75: £38kP90: £43k

Estimated Career Progression

Based on salary percentile distribution for this occupation

Entry Level

£11,482

0-2 years

Mid Level

£23,211

3-7 years

Senior

£37,905

8-15 years

Leadership

£43,472

15+ years

Potential career growth: +279% from entry to leadership

Salary Trend (2015-2025)

Adjust for inflation

Nominal growth: +49.3%Real growth: +8.2%

Gender Pay Comparison (2025)

Gender pay gap: 2.5%

Full-time vs All Employees (2025)

All Employees

£30,819

Full-time Only

£33,832

Full-time premium: +£3,013

Security guards and related occupations salary: common questions

How much do security guards and related occupations earn in the UK?

Security guards and related occupations earn a median of £33,832 a year (ONS ASHE 2025). The middle half earn between £23,211 and £37,905.

Is £33,832 a good salary in the UK?

What is the starting salary for security guards and related occupations?

Entry-level security guards and related occupations typically start near the lower end of the range. The bottom 25% earn up to £23,211, and the lowest-paid 10% earn under £11,482.

How much do the highest-paid security guards and related occupations earn?

The best-paid 10% of security guards and related occupations earn over £43,472 a year, and the top 25% over £37,905 (ONS ASHE 2025).

Have security guards and related occupations salaries kept up with inflation?

Since 2015, median security guards and related occupations pay has risen from £21,783 to £33,832 — +55% in cash terms, or +13% after CPIH inflation. That is ahead of inflation over the period.

Is there a gender pay gap for security guards and related occupations?

Male security guards and related occupations earn a median £30,929 and female security guards and related occupations £30,148 — a gap of +3.0% in 2025.

Figures: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, gross annual pay. UK full-time median £39,039 (2025).