Safety Officer Pay in Australia
A safety officer’s salary depends on the industry, award coverage, and experience. While there is no single published figure for all safety officers, the Security Services Industry Award (MA000016) from Fair Work provides minimum weekly rates for security officers, a common role in the safety field. These rates are a useful benchmark for understanding where safety officer pay sits against the national full-time average.
National Full-Time Average as a Reference
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports that full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings were $2,083.70 in May 2026. That works out to about $108,352 per year (multiplied by 52 weeks). This is the line used by Average line to compare any salary. For context, the full-time median (the middle point) is about $90,532 per year, and the all-employees median (including part-time) is about $74,100 per year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025).
Award Rates for Security Officers
Under the Security Services Industry Award, effective from 1 July 2026, the minimum weekly pay for a full-time adult security officer ranges from $1,080.10 (Level 1) to $1,185.70 (Level 5). These are based on a 38-hour week. The hourly rates start at $28.42 for Level 1 and go up to $31.20 for Level 5. Penalty rates apply for weekends, nights, and public holidays, which can boost take-home pay significantly.
Compared to the national full-time average of $2,083.70 per week, a Level 1 security officer earns about 52% of the average. Even the highest Level 5 rate is only 57% of the average. This gap is typical for roles covered by modern awards, which set minimums rather than market rates.
Resident Take-Home Sketch
Imagine a safety officer working 38 hours per week at the Level 1 rate of $28.42 per hour, earning $1,080.10 per week ($56,165 per year). Using the 2026–27 tax brackets (nil up to $18,200, 15% from $18,201 to $45,000, 30% from $45,001 to $135,000) plus the 2% Medicare levy, the annual tax is roughly $9,665. That leaves about $46,500 take-home pay, or $894 per week. If the officer works regular Saturday or night shifts, penalty rates could increase earnings by 50% or more, bringing take-home closer to the national average.
For comparison, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week, $52,255 per year). The award rates for security officers are slightly above the minimum wage, reflecting the specialised nature of the role.
State-by-State Context
Full-time average earnings vary by state and territory, according to the ABS. The highest is the Australian Capital Territory at about $119,090 per year, while Tasmania is lowest at about $96,008. A safety officer on the award rate would be below the average in every state. For example, in New South Wales (average $109,658), the award rate is about 51% of the state average; in Western Australia ($115,825), it’s about 48%. Place a salary on the line to see how your pay compares to your state’s average.
Other Considerations
Many safety officers work in industries like construction, mining, or government, where enterprise agreements or individual contracts may pay above the award. The ABS does not publish a specific “safety officer” occupation category, but related roles such as “Security Officer” or “Safety Inspector” may have different earnings. For a broader view, explore Job medians or Industry medians on this site.
Summary
A safety officer salary under the Security Services Industry Award is well below the national full-time average of $108,352 per year. However, penalty rates and higher-level classifications can narrow the gap. The award provides a safety net, but many safety officers earn more through experience or enterprise bargaining. Use the tools on this site to compare your salary against the national line.
About this site explains how we calculate the line and why we use the ABS average as the benchmark.