Commercial · Canberra

How much do security guards cost in Canberra?

By The WTD Editorial Team · Last reviewed November 2026 · Methodology

Updated November 2026·Independently researched·11 min read

A static security guard in Canberra runs $40–$60 per hour

for a weekday day shift, as published by security firms (mostly ex GST where stated) - night, weekend, public holiday, event and patrol rates below

A Barton office building with a front-desk officer on business hours pays $40–$65 per hour for a concierge or front-desk security officer, with $50 typical. A Mitchell apartment build that wants the gate held overnight is priced by the shift, and one 10-hour overnight site guard is $500–$750.

+3.2% Security Guards costs in Canberra are up around 3.2% over the past year, re-verified against 90+ sources in November 2026. Year on year

Typical static guard rate in Canberra, weekday day shift

$45

per guard per hour, Canberra 2026, as published

Static security guard, weekday day shift

$40-$60

Static guard, night or weekend shift

$55-$75

Static guard, public holiday

$80-$120

$40$45$60

Hire a guard in Canberra and the quote opens with an hourly rate tied to the shift: $40–$60 per hour for a static guard on a weekday day shift, $55–$75 per hour at night or on a weekend, and $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday. Most firms set a minimum booking, so a short evening event in Manuka, or an hour of cover at a Fyshwick showroom, is billed to that minimum and not to the minutes used.

The officer is the next line. Barton, Woden and Belconnen office buildings book concierge or front-desk officers at $40–$65 per hour; venues along Lonsdale Street Braddon and in NewActon book licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour on the door; conference dinners and Kingston Foreshore functions book event security guards at $45–$70 per guard per hour.

Builds and yards around Fyshwick, Hume, Mitchell and Queanbeyan are bought by the hour, the visit and the shift: construction site guards at $45–$70 per hour, mobile patrols at $30–$60 per site visit, a nightly patrol contract on one site at $400–$1,200 per month, and one 8-hour weekday static shift at $280–$480. A private party or wedding with 2 guards for 6 hours is $660–$840 per event, and a council-run hall that sets its own event security charge bills $68–$198 per guard per hour.

Quick answerA static security guard in Canberra costs $40–$60 per hour for a weekday day shift in 2026, with $45 typical, $55–$75 per hour for a night or weekend shift and $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday. Event security guards run $45–$70 per guard per hour, licensed crowd controllers $55–$85 per guard per hour and a mobile patrol $30–$60 per site visit. Prices are as published by security firms and councils, mostly ex GST where a basis is stated. Get free Canberra quotes →

Security Guards Prices in Canberra 2026: Cost Table, Price List and Hourly Rates

Service	Low	Typical	High
Static security guard, weekday day shift	$40per hour	$45	$60
Event security guard	$45per guard per hour	$55	$70
Licensed crowd controller (venues, events)	$55per guard per hour	$60	$85
Mobile patrol, per site visit	$30per visit	$35	$60
Static guard, public holiday	$80per hour	$100	$120
Static guard, night or weekend shift	$55per hour	$65	$75
Concierge or front-desk security officer	$40per hour	$50	$65
Construction site guard	$45per hour	$50	$70
Overnight site guard, one 10-hour shift	$500per shift	$650	$750
Static guard, one 8-hour weekday shift	$280per shift	$360	$480
Mobile patrol contract, one site, nightly patrols	$400per month	$600	$1,200
Private party or wedding, 2 guards for 6 hours	$660per event	$780	$840
Event security guard at a council venue (council-set hourly charge)	$68per guard per hour	$80	$198

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Prices are as published by security firms and councils, mostly ex GST where a basis is stated. Canberra and Queanbeyan, November 2026.

How much does a security guard cost per hour in Canberra?$40–$60 per hour for a static guard on a weekday day shift, $45 typical. The rate climbs to $55–$75 per hour for a night or weekend shift and $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday, and one 8-hour weekday shift is priced at $280–$480 per shift.

What do event security and patrols cost in Canberra?Event security guards run $45–$70 per guard per hour and licensed crowd controllers $55–$85 per guard per hour. A mobile patrol is $30–$60 per site visit, or $400–$1,200 per month on a contract of nightly patrols for one site.

Worked Security Guards Cost Scenarios — Canberra

Three Canberra bookings priced from this page's rows: a Barton office reception, a Mitchell construction site and a Kingston Foreshore wedding. Each names the rows it uses; the quote you get prices your own hours, guard count and site.

Barton office reception. A consultancy leasing two floors in Barton books a concierge or front-desk security officer at $40–$65 per hour ($50 typical) to sign in visitors and contractors through business hours, with a static guard at $40–$60 per hour for a weekday fit-out on a vacant floor and $55–$75 per hour when that work runs into the evening or a Saturday.
Mitchell construction site. A builder putting up a warehouse and office block in Mitchell has a construction site guard at $45–$70 per hour ($50 typical) on the gate while materials are delivered, one overnight site guard at $500–$750 per 10-hour shift for the weeks copper and tools sit on site, and a nightly patrol contract at $400–$1,200 per month once the building can be locked.
Kingston Foreshore wedding. A Kingston Foreshore reception books a private party or wedding package of 2 guards for 6 hours at $660–$840 per event ($780 typical) for the entry and the car park, and adds an event security guard at $45–$70 per guard per hour if the guest list grows past what two can cover; a public holiday date takes any static guard held for the gear to $80–$120 per hour.

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Prices are as published by security firms and councils, mostly ex GST where a basis is stated. Canberra and Queanbeyan, November 2026.

Security Guards Costs by Sector in Canberra

Canberra's guard bookings come from the Barton, Woden and Belconnen office districts and Civic, the venues of Braddon, Lonsdale Street and NewActon, the industrial and build sites of Fyshwick, Hume, Mitchell and Queanbeyan, the Canberra Centre, Westfield Belconnen and Westfield Woden, and the function venues of Kingston Foreshore and Manuka.

Office districts: Barton, Woden and Belconnen - Concierge or front-desk officers at $40–$65 per hour on business hours, and static guards at $40–$60 per hour for weekday cover beyond the desk; ask the quote to list visitor sign-in, deliveries and floor rounds as duties.
Venues: Braddon, Lonsdale Street and NewActon - Licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour on Friday and Saturday doors, with a mobile patrol at $30–$60 per site visit checking the premises after close.
Industrial and builds: Fyshwick, Hume, Mitchell and Queanbeyan - Construction site guards at $45–$70 per hour, one 10-hour overnight guard at $500–$750, and mobile patrols or a nightly patrol contract at $400–$1,200 per month for a locked yard.
Retail: the Canberra Centre, Westfield Belconnen and Westfield Woden - A static guard at $40–$60 per hour or one 8-hour weekday shift at $280–$480, with weekend and late-night trading at $55–$75 per hour and public holidays at $80–$120.
Functions: Kingston Foreshore and Manuka - Event security guards at $45–$70 per guard per hour, private parties or weddings of 2 guards for 6 hours at $660–$840 per event, and a council-run hall with its own event security charge at $68–$198 per guard per hour.

What Canberra Security Guards Jobs Actually Cost

Day-to-day Canberra cover lands around the typical rates: a Barton or Belconnen reception on business hours books a concierge officer near $50 per hour, and a weekday store guard at the Canberra Centre near $45 per hour, inside the $40–$60 band. It rises once the hours move - Braddon and NewActon doors at $55–$85 per guard per hour for crowd controllers, weekend static cover at $55–$75 and public holiday cover at $80–$120.

Builds and yards are bought by the shift and the visit. A Mitchell or Hume build keeps a construction site guard at $45–$70 per hour through the day and one overnight guard at $500–$750 per 10-hour shift until lock-up, then moves to a nightly patrol contract at $400–$1,200 per month or single visits at $30–$60. Kingston Foreshore functions book event guards at $45–$70 per guard per hour, and a wedding with 2 guards for 6 hours prices at $660–$840 per event.

What Affects Security Guards Costs in Canberra

Canberra guard prices are driven by the shift, the officer and the kind of site, from Barton receptions and Braddon doors to the builds at Mitchell and Hume.

Business-hours desks or after-hours cover - A Barton or Woden reception on business hours is a concierge officer at $40–$65 per hour; cover that runs past the working day moves to the night or weekend rate of $55–$75.
Weekend venue doors - Braddon, Lonsdale Street and NewActon venues roster licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour, and the number of doors and the closing time set the guard hours.
Stage of a build - A Mitchell or Hume build with plant and copper on site books a construction site guard at $45–$70 per hour and an overnight guard at $500–$750 per 10-hour shift; once it can be locked, patrols take over.
Patrol visits and site size - A Fyshwick or Queanbeyan yard is $30–$60 per site visit, or $400–$1,200 per month on a nightly contract; visits per night, site size and visit length set where a quote lands.
Public holidays and long weekends - A static guard is $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday against $40–$60 on a weekday day shift, so a retail roster that covers a long weekend should be costed day by day.
Venue and booking type - Firms bill short jobs to a minimum booking, a whole 8-hour weekday shift is $280–$480, and a council-run hall with its own event security charge bills $68–$198 per guard per hour.

How to Control Security Guards Costs in Canberra

Canberra buyers control guard costs by booking the officer the job actually needs, keeping on-site guards to the hours that carry the risk, and putting every site on one rate card.

Tenants sharing a Barton or Woden building can ask the building manager to run one concierge roster at $40–$65 per hour for the lobby instead of each tenancy hiring its own officer.
A Fyshwick or Hume yard locked overnight can compare a nightly patrol contract at $400–$1,200 per month with an overnight guard at $500–$750 per shift before signing either.
A Mitchell builder can book overnight guards only for the weeks materials and tools sit in the open, then step down to patrols at $30–$60 per site visit.
For a Kingston Foreshore or Manuka function, fix the guard count and the bump-in and bump-out times in writing so a long night is not billed for extra hours.

What a Compliant Security Guards Quote Includes — Cost in Canberra

Before comparing Canberra quotes, check each one prices the same shifts at the same rate type - weekday day, night or weekend, public holiday - states the minimum booking, and lists event guards, crowd controllers, concierge officers and patrols on their own lines with the GST basis stated.

The hourly rate for each shift type: weekday day shifts at $40–$60, night or weekend shifts at $55–$75 and public holidays at $80–$120 per hour
The minimum booking length, and what a whole shift comes to - one 8-hour weekday shift at $280–$480 or one 10-hour overnight shift at $500–$750
Event security guards at $45–$70 and licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour, with the guard count and the hours on site written down
Mobile patrols at $30–$60 per site visit, or a nightly patrol contract at $400–$1,200 per month, with the visits per night and what each visit checks
Construction site guards at $45–$70 per hour, with day cover and overnight cover shown as separate lines
Concierge or front-desk security officers at $40–$65 per hour, with the duties - visitor sign-in, deliveries, floor rounds - listed
For a private party or wedding, the per-event price of $660–$840 for 2 guards for 6 hours; at a council venue, whether the council's own charge of $68–$198 per guard per hour applies instead
The licence numbers held by each guard and by the company supplying them, with the company's ABN and public liability insurance
A single GST basis across every line, with public holiday dates, cancellation terms and any travel charge for an outlying site stated

Security guards cost in Canberra: office receptions, Braddon doors and building sites

In Canberra, guard pricing starts with the shift. A static guard runs $40–$60 per hour on a weekday day shift (typically $45), $55–$75 per hour at night or on a weekend (typically $65) and $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday (typically $100). Quoted as whole shifts, one 8-hour weekday static shift is $280–$480 and one 10-hour overnight site shift $500–$750.

The officer fills in the rest. A Barton or Woden reception is a concierge officer at $40–$65 per hour; a Lonsdale Street or NewActon door is licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour; a Kingston Foreshore function is event security guards at $45–$70, or a wedding with 2 guards for 6 hours at $660–$840 per event; a Hume or Mitchell build is a construction site guard at $45–$70 per hour; and a Fyshwick yard that only needs checking is a mobile patrol at $30–$60 per site visit or $400–$1,200 per month on a nightly contract. A council-run hall that sets its own event security charge prices the guard at $68–$198 per guard per hour.

This guide quotes security licensing wording only from government pages fetched in November 2026, which cover New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. Ask a Canberra security company to name the licence each guard holds and any licence held by the business, and to show those numbers on the quote.

Security guards cost by shift type and site in Canberra

Quick answerCanberra pricing follows the shift and the site: a Belconnen office books a weekday desk at $40–$65 per hour, a Braddon venue crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour, a Fyshwick yard patrols at $30–$60 per site visit, and a Mitchell build a construction guard at $45–$70 per hour with overnight shifts at $500–$750.

The roster moves a Canberra guard price in steps. Weekday day hours are $40–$60, night and weekend hours $55–$75 and public holiday hours $80–$120, so a Westfield Woden store that covers a long weekend pays three rates in a few days. Booked whole, 8 weekday hours cost $280–$480 and a 10-hour overnight shift $500–$750.

The site picks the officer. A Civic or Barton building uses concierge officers at $40–$65 per hour; a Hume or Queanbeyan yard can use mobile patrols at $30–$60 per site visit or a nightly contract at $400–$1,200 per month in place of an all-night guard; a Kingston Foreshore event books event guards at $45–$70 and crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour; and a private party or wedding with 2 guards for 6 hours prices at $660–$840 per event.

Frequently Asked Questions — Security Guards Cost in Canberra

What is the price of security guards in Canberra?

From our Canberra table: a static guard is $40–$60 per hour on a weekday day shift (typically $45), $55–$75 per hour for a night or weekend shift (typically $65) and $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday (typically $100); a mobile patrol is $30–$60 per site visit.

How much does a security guard cost per hour in Canberra?

A static guard on a weekday day shift costs $40–$60 per hour in Canberra, with $45 typical, and a concierge or front-desk security officer $40–$65 per hour, typically $50. A Barton or Woden reception is normally a fixed weekday roster; a single Manuka shop that wants a guard for a few nights after a break-in pays the firm's minimum booking each night.

How much does event security cost in Canberra?

Going by our Canberra table, an event security guard is $45–$70 per guard per hour, typically $55, and a licensed crowd controller $55–$85 per guard per hour, typically $60. Kingston Foreshore and Manuka functions, conference dinners in Civic and Braddon venue nights are the usual Canberra event bookings; ask for the guard count, the finish time and whether crowd controllers are priced apart from event guards.

What does a mobile security patrol cost in Canberra?

A mobile patrol is $30–$60 per site visit on our Canberra table, with $35 typical, and a contract of nightly patrols on one site $400–$1,200 per month, typically $600; the visit count and what each visit checks decide where a quote lands.

What licence should a Canberra security company hold?

This guide quotes security licensing wording only from government pages fetched in November 2026, which cover New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. In Canberra, check the names and licence numbers on the roster against the guards who arrive, and ask whether any shift will be passed to a subcontractor.

How much does a construction site security guard cost in Canberra?

A construction site guard is $45–$70 per hour on our Canberra table, with $50 typical; where the cover runs through the night, an overnight site guard on one 10-hour shift is priced at $500–$750 per shift.

What do security guards cost on weekends and public holidays in Canberra?

A static guard costs $55–$75 per hour for a night or weekend shift in Canberra, with $65 typical, and $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday, typically $100. Retailers at the Canberra Centre and Westfield Belconnen, and builders at Mitchell and Hume running Saturday work, should ask for weekday, weekend and public holiday rates on one quote so the whole roster is costed.

How much does security for a private party or wedding cost in Canberra?

A private party or wedding with 2 guards for 6 hours is $660–$840 per event on our Canberra table, with $780 typical; at a council venue that sets its own event security charge, the guard is priced at $68–$198 per guard per hour, typically $80. For a Kingston Foreshore or Manuka reception, ask whether the venue has its own guards booked and whether the quoted pair stays until the last guests leave.

What does a full security shift cost in Canberra?

One 8-hour weekday shift for a static guard costs $280–$480 per shift on our Canberra table, with $360 typical, and one 10-hour overnight site shift $500–$750, typically $650. For a Mitchell or Hume overnight shift, ask what the guard records at hand-over and how a shift that runs past its finish is billed.