Security: say what exactly you’re looking for

Security jobs in New Zealand: pay, licence and what to ask

Updated 4 November 2026

A security guard in New Zealand is typically advertised at NZ$21 to NZ$24 an hour, and an in-house guard's salary runs from about NZ$55,000 to NZ$75,000 a year, depending on experience and duties. To see current offers from local firms, describe the role in a request on BlaBlaPrice.

Licence before the first shift

Security employees must hold a valid Certificate of Approval (COA) issued through the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority. The government fee for a certificate of approval is NZ$232, and application fees went up by 2.25% from 1 July 2026. Training courses that include the COA process are advertised at about NZ$625 to NZ$676 including GST. A business that provides security services needs its own licence as well: the company licence fee is NZ$840 and the individual licence fee is NZ$695.

Summer events and winter nights

Demand for guards in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton and Tauranga rises from December to February, when summer festivals, holiday events and busy retail weeks need extra staff at events, car parks and retail centres. Winter, June to August, brings short daylight hours, so night patrols and early and late shifts become a bigger part of the work. Start planning the roster a few weeks before the event period, and ask whether the firm can cover the whole season.

How the work is paid and organised

Guards are usually paid per hour and in-house roles per year, so compare like with like. Ask whether the hourly rate includes holiday pay, whether uniforms and radios are supplied, and whether travel between towns such as Hamilton and Tauranga is paid. Before work starts, ask for the company licence number and the COA of each person who will attend.

What to put in your request

Write the place (city and suburb), the hours and days, the shift pattern (day, night or rotating), whether the guard must hold a COA, and the pay range you can offer. Say whether you need a fixed post or mobile patrols, and give the start date. The more exact the description, the more useful the replies.

Offers come through BlaBlaPrice. The request is free for you. The AI reads it, asks for missing details and looks through employers' websites and advertised pay in New Zealand, then shows the businesses it found. Registered firms receive the request and reply in the chat with their own offer, pay and start date, and your contact details stay hidden until you decide to exchange them. For related roles see the Jobs section, Security guard or Watchman.