What is the Security Services Industry Award 2020?
The Security Services Industry Award 2020 (MA000016) is a modern award made by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). It sets the minimum pay rates, penalty rates, allowances, overtime entitlements, and employment conditions for employees in the security services industry in Australia where no enterprise agreement applies.
The award is the legal floor: an employer can pay above it (and many do under enterprise agreements), but cannot pay below it. The coverage clause in MA000016 describes which employers and employees are within scope. If an employee is not covered by an enterprise agreement and works in the security industry in a role the award recognises, the award applies.
The name includes "2020" because the FWC made the award in 2020 as part of the transition to modern awards, not because the rates are frozen at 2020 levels. The pay rates inside the award are reviewed and updated every year.
Who does the Security Services Industry Award cover?
Coverage is set by the award's classification and coverage clauses, not by job title alone. The award typically applies to employees working as security officers, crowd controllers, armed guards, cash-in-transit officers, monitoring centre operators, patrol officers, and supervisory roles in those functions. It covers most private security companies operating in Australia under the national workplace relations system.
State and territory public sector employers and some industry-specific employers may be covered by a different award or agreement. Employers uncertain about coverage should check the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) award finder or seek independent employment law advice.
How are pay rates set and when do they change?
The FWC conducts an Annual Wage Review (AWR) each financial year. The AWR determines percentage increases to the National Minimum Wage and to modern award minimum rates. Increases take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July each year.
The current rates effective from 1 July 2026 are published on the FWO pay guide for the Security Services Industry Award. Because rates change every 1 July, you should not rely on any pay table that does not state the year it applies to. The authoritative current rates are always at:
- Fair Work Ombudsman pay guides (Security Services Industry Award pay guide)
- FWC award document MA000016 (the legal text of the award)
This guide describes the structure of entitlements and what each element means, but does not reproduce specific dollar figures that may become stale. Always verify the applicable rate from the FWO or FWC source for the current financial year.
Employee classifications under the award (L1 to L5)
The award defines classifications for security employees, broadly organised in levels from Level 1 (L1) through to Level 5 (L5). Higher levels reflect greater responsibility, licence type, or specialised role. The classification determines the base ordinary hourly rate the employee is entitled to.
Correct classification is an employer obligation. Misclassification at a lower level than the role warrants is a wage underpayment. Employers should map each employee's actual duties and licence class to the classification definitions in the award to confirm the correct level applies.
Classification definitions and exact level titles are set in the award text. The descriptions above are indicative. Verify the correct classification for each employee against the current award document.
Penalty rates, overtime and loadings: the full schedule
Security operations run at hours and on days that attract additional pay. The table below summarises the key penalty and loading structure under the Security Services Industry Award 2020. Actual multipliers must be confirmed from the current award document or FWO pay guide, as some provisions can be subject to amendment.
Night span loading conditions and exact overtime trigger points are defined in the award. Verify the current award text at fwc.gov.au/documents/awards/MA000016.
The 38-hour ordinary week
Full-time employees under the Security Services Industry Award 2020 have an ordinary week of 38 hours. Hours beyond 38 in a week are overtime. The award also contains provisions about maximum daily hours and rest breaks between duties; employers should confirm the specific rules in the current award text.
Superannuation guarantee
For the 2026-27 financial year, the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) rate is 12% of ordinary time earnings. The SG is a statutory obligation separate from the award; it applies to all eligible employees regardless of whether their employment is covered by a modern award, enterprise agreement, or individual arrangement. The rate was legislated to reach 12% from 1 July 2025 and remains at 12% for 2026-27. Check ato.gov.au for the authoritative current rate.
Common employer mistakes under the Security Services Award
FWO compliance activities in the security sector have identified recurring patterns of underpayment. Understanding these is the starting point for fixing them.
- Using stale rate tables. The award changes every 1 July. Employers who do not update their payroll system or spreadsheets by the first full pay period in July underpay every hour worked from that point.
- Misclassifying employees at a lower level. Paying an L2 employee at L1 rates because the role "sounds entry level" or because paperwork was not updated when duties changed is a classification error and creates a liability.
- Missing Saturday or Sunday penalties. Security work frequently spans weekends. A roster system that does not apply the Saturday 150% and Sunday 200% penalties automatically will underpay staff every week those duties occur.
- Applying casual loading incorrectly. The 25% casual loading must be applied to the base rate before overtime or penalty rates are calculated in the prescribed sequence. Getting the order wrong produces an incorrect outcome.
- Not tracking the weekly overtime trigger. When guards pick up additional duties across a week, total hours can cross the 38-hour threshold. Payroll systems that only track daily hours and miss the weekly total will fail to pay overtime on excess hours.
- Overlooking the night span loading. The award contains specific provisions about work hours falling within a defined night span. Employers whose systems do not split clock-in times by whether they fall inside or outside the night span will miscalculate pay for night-duty workers.
- Superannuation on the wrong earnings base. Some employers calculate super only on the base rate and exclude loadings or penalties from the earnings base, which may be incorrect depending on how the contract and award interact. The ATO publishes guidance on what counts as ordinary time earnings for super purposes.
How software can reduce award compliance risk
Workforce management software designed for the security industry can reduce the risk of award errors by automating the penalty and loading schedule against actual clock-in data. Where every duty start and end time is recorded from a verified clock-in, the system can calculate Saturday rates, Sunday rates, night span loadings, and weekly overtime without manual input.
Software does not replace the employer's obligation to set the correct classification for each employee, to update rates when the FWC Annual Wage Review takes effect each July, or to review the award when circumstances change. It handles the arithmetic; the employer is still responsible for the inputs.
OnDuty365 interprets Security Industry Award 2020 pay from verified clock-ins, applies penalty and overtime rules to each duty, and exports a pay run to your accounting system. See how it works on the payroll page, or read the award pay calculator for a worked example.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Who is covered by the Security Services Industry Award 2020?
The award (MA000016) covers employees engaged as security officers, crowd controllers, armed guards, monitoring centre operators, and their supervisors where no enterprise agreement applies and the employer is in the security services industry. Check the Fair Work Commission (FWC) award document for the precise coverage clause, as some roles in adjacent industries may be covered by a different award.
When do Security Industry Award pay rates change?
Rates are updated every 1 July following the FWC Annual Wage Review. The award is formally named the Security Services Industry Award 2020 but the rates inside it are reviewed and updated each year. Always check the current pay guide on the Fair Work Ombudsman website rather than relying on rates printed in older documents.
What is the casual loading under the Security Services Industry Award?
Casual employees under the award attract a 25% casual loading on top of the ordinary hourly rate. The loading compensates for the absence of paid leave entitlements. The casual loading applies to the base rate; penalty rates and overtime are calculated on the base rate plus the casual loading.
How is overtime calculated for security guards?
After 38 ordinary hours in a week, overtime is payable at 1.5 times the ordinary rate for the first additional period and 2 times thereafter. Confirm the exact trigger points and span definitions in the current award document, as specific conditions may apply to the way daily and weekly overtime interact.
What is the superannuation guarantee rate for security employees in 2026-27?
The Superannuation Guarantee rate for the 2026-27 financial year is 12% of ordinary time earnings (OTE), payable quarterly. Employers must not use award loadings or penalties to offset their super obligation unless the employee's contract explicitly addresses this and complies with applicable law.