Commercial · Darwin

How much do security guards cost in Darwin?

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

Updated November 2026·Independently researched·11 min read

A static security guard in Darwin 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 Mitchell Street bar staffing its door for the weekend books licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour, with $60 typical. An East Arm laydown yard holding pipe and machinery between shipments books by the night, and one 10-hour overnight site guard is $500–$750 per shift.

+3.2% Security Guards costs in Darwin 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 Darwin, weekday day shift

$45

per guard per hour, Darwin 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

Guards in Darwin are quoted per hour, and the shift sets the rate: $40–$60 per hour for a static guard on a weekday day shift, $55–$75 per hour for a night or weekend shift, $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday. Because firms set a minimum booking, a guard needed for a short Parap market morning or a Nightcliff shop opening is billed to that minimum rather than the time on site.

Two Darwin quotes for the same job usually differ on the officer, not just the rate. Mitchell Street and Smith Street Mall venues need licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour; a function on the waterfront or at Cullen Bay books event security guards at $45–$70; a CBD or Casuarina office front desk books a concierge or front-desk officer at $40–$65 per hour.

Industrial Darwin buys by the visit and the shift. A mobile patrol through a Winnellie or Berrimah yard is $30–$60 per site visit, a nightly patrol contract on one site $400–$1,200 per month, a construction site guard $45–$70 per hour and one 8-hour weekday static shift $280–$480. A private party or wedding with 2 guards for 6 hours prices at $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 Darwin 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 Darwin quotes →

Security Guards Prices in Darwin 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. Darwin and Palmerston, November 2026.

How much does a security guard cost per hour in Darwin?$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 Darwin?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 — Darwin

Three Darwin jobs priced from this page's rows: a Mitchell Street bar door, an East Arm laydown yard and a Cullen Bay wedding. Each line names the rows it uses; a real quote prices your own roster, guard count and site.

Mitchell Street bar door. A Mitchell Street bar runs two licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour ($60 typical) from evening to close on Friday and Saturday, books event security guards at $45–$70 per guard per hour for a live-music night, and pays a mobile patrol $30–$60 per site visit to check the rear doors and the bin store after the last staff leave.
East Arm laydown yard, overnight guard. A contractor storing pipe, cable drums and machinery on an East Arm laydown yard books one overnight site guard on a 10-hour shift at $500–$750 per shift ($650 typical) while a shipment waits to be trucked out, with a construction site guard at $45–$70 per hour on the gate during day deliveries, then moves to a nightly patrol contract at $400–$1,200 per month once the yard is cleared.
Cullen Bay wedding. A Cullen Bay waterfront wedding books a private party or wedding package of 2 guards for 6 hours at $660–$840 per event ($780 typical) for the jetty entry and the car park, and a static guard at $55–$75 per hour to sit with the hired marquee and sound gear overnight, or $80–$120 per hour if the date falls on a public holiday.

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

Security Guards Costs by Sector in Darwin

Darwin's guard bookings span the Mitchell Street and Smith Street Mall venues, waterfront and Cullen Bay functions, the yards and depots of Winnellie, Berrimah, East Arm and Pinelands, the centres at Casuarina Square, Gateway Palmerston and Darwin Waterfront, and the offices of the CBD, Casuarina and Palmerston.

Venues: Mitchell Street and Smith Street Mall, Darwin - Licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour on weekend doors, and event security guards at $45–$70 for one-off nights; the quote should show the roster from start to close and the guard count per door.
Functions: Darwin Waterfront and Cullen Bay - 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.
Yards and depots: Winnellie, Berrimah, East Arm, Pinelands - Mobile patrols at $30–$60 per site visit, a nightly patrol contract at $400–$1,200 per month, one 10-hour overnight guard at $500–$750 when stock or plant sits outside, and construction site guards at $45–$70 per hour on a build.
Retail: Casuarina Square and Gateway Palmerston - A static guard at $40–$60 per hour on a weekday, one 8-hour weekday shift at $280–$480, and weekend and late-trading hours at $55–$75 per hour, with public holidays at $80–$120.
Offices: the CBD, Casuarina and Palmerston - Concierge or front-desk security officers at $40–$65 per hour for a reception desk on business hours, with a static guard at $40–$60 per hour for weekday cover outside the desk.

What Darwin Security Guards Jobs Actually Cost

Steady weekday work in Darwin lands near the typical rates: a CBD or Casuarina reception desk on business hours books a concierge officer near $50 per hour, and a Gateway Palmerston store guard on a weekday near $45 per hour, inside the $40–$60 band. It moves up when the work moves to nights - Mitchell Street doors at $55–$85 per guard per hour for crowd controllers, weekend static cover at $55–$75 and public holiday cover at $80–$120.

Port-side and industrial work is bought by the shift and the visit. An East Arm laydown yard holding cargo books one overnight guard at $500–$750 per 10-hour shift, a Pinelands build a construction site guard at $45–$70 per hour through the day, and a Winnellie depot settles on a nightly patrol contract at $400–$1,200 per month or single visits at $30–$60. Waterfront and Cullen Bay 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 Darwin

Darwin guard prices turn on the roster, the officer and the site, from Mitchell Street doors and waterfront lawns to the yards at Winnellie and East Arm.

Night-time venue rosters - Mitchell Street and Smith Street Mall venues that roster weekend nights pay $55–$85 per guard per hour for licensed crowd controllers, and static cover on those nights is $55–$75 per hour.
Cargo and plant left outside - An East Arm or Berrimah yard with stock or machinery outside the shed is priced as one 10-hour overnight guard at $500–$750, where a locked shed may only need patrols at $30–$60 per site visit.
Public holidays - A static guard on a public holiday is $80–$120 per hour against $40–$60 on a weekday day shift, so event dates that land on a holiday should be priced before they are booked.
Patrol frequency - A nightly patrol contract on one Winnellie or Pinelands site is $400–$1,200 per month; the number of visits a night, the site size and how long each visit lasts set where it lands.
Minimum booking length - Firms bill short jobs to a minimum booking, so a Parap or Nightcliff opening that needs an hour of cover pays more than an hour; a whole 8-hour weekday shift is $280–$480.
Council and private venues - A council-run hall with its own event security charge bills $68–$198 per guard per hour, while a private party or wedding with 2 guards for 6 hours is quoted at $660–$840 per event.

How to Control Security Guards Costs in Darwin

Darwin buyers keep guard costs down by putting a guard on site only for the hours that carry the risk, using patrols where a check is enough, and agreeing one rate card for every site and venue they run.

An East Arm or Berrimah yard can book an overnight guard at $500–$750 per shift only while cargo waits to move, and drop to a nightly patrol contract at $400–$1,200 per month in between.
Mitchell Street venues can roster crowd controllers for the hours the door is busy and use a mobile patrol at $30–$60 per site visit after close instead of keeping a guard to lock-up.
A Pinelands or Palmerston builder can keep a construction site guard at $45–$70 per hour for the stages when plant and materials are on site unlocked, then switch to patrols.
For a waterfront or Cullen Bay function, put the guard count and the start and finish times in writing so a late finish is not billed for hours nobody agreed.

What a Compliant Security Guards Quote Includes — Cost in Darwin

Before comparing Darwin 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 Darwin: venue doors, port-side yards and waterfront functions

For a Darwin buyer, the first line of any guard quote is the shift rate. A weekday day shift is $40–$60 per hour (typically $45), a night or weekend shift $55–$75 per hour (typically $65) and a public holiday $80–$120 per hour (typically $100). Firms also price the shift whole: $280–$480 for one 8-hour weekday static shift and $500–$750 for one 10-hour overnight site shift.

The second line is the officer. A Mitchell Street door is licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour; a waterfront or Cullen Bay function is event security guards at $45–$70, or a wedding with 2 guards for 6 hours at $660–$840 per event; a Casuarina office reception is a concierge officer at $40–$65 per hour; a Berrimah or Pinelands build is a construction site guard at $45–$70 per hour; and a Winnellie 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 bills $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 Darwin security company to name the licence each guard holds and any licence held by the business itself, and to print those numbers on the quote.

Security guards cost by shift type and site in Darwin

Quick answerDarwin pricing follows the shift and the site: a Smith Street Mall venue books crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour, a Casuarina office a weekday desk at $40–$65 per hour, a Winnellie yard patrols at $30–$60 per site visit, and an East Arm laydown yard overnight shifts at $500–$750.

Rosters change a Darwin guard rate in steps. Weekday day hours sit in the $40–$60 band, night and weekend hours in $55–$75 and public holidays in $80–$120, so a Casuarina Square store covering a long weekend is invoiced at three rates in a few days. Bought as whole shifts, 8 weekday hours are $280–$480 and a 10-hour overnight shift $500–$750.

The kind of site picks the officer. A CBD or Palmerston office uses a concierge officer at $40–$65 per hour; a Berrimah or Pinelands depot can lean on mobile patrols at $30–$60 per site visit or a nightly contract at $400–$1,200 per month in place of a guard all night; a waterfront 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 is $660–$840 per event.

Frequently Asked Questions — Security Guards Cost in Darwin

What is the price of security guards in Darwin?

From our Darwin 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 Darwin?

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

How much does event security cost in Darwin?

Going by our Darwin 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. Mitchell Street venues, Darwin Waterfront functions and Cullen Bay weddings are the usual Darwin event bookings; ask for the guard count per entry, the finish time and whether crowd controllers are priced apart from event guards.

What does a mobile security patrol cost in Darwin?

A mobile patrol is $30–$60 per site visit on our Darwin 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 Darwin 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 Darwin, match the names and licence numbers on the roster against the guards who arrive, and ask the firm whether any shift will be handed to a subcontractor.

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

A construction site guard is $45–$70 per hour on our Darwin 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 Darwin?

A static guard costs $55–$75 per hour for a night or weekend shift in Darwin, with $65 typical, and $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday, typically $100. Retailers at Casuarina Square and Gateway Palmerston, and Winnellie or East Arm yards working weekends, should get weekday, weekend and public holiday rates side by side before the roster is locked in.

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

A private party or wedding with 2 guards for 6 hours is $660–$840 per event on our Darwin 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 Cullen Bay or waterfront wedding, ask whether the venue already supplies its own guards and whether the quoted pair stays until the last guests have gone.

What does a full security shift cost in Darwin?

One 8-hour weekday shift for a static guard costs $280–$480 per shift on our Darwin table, with $360 typical, and one 10-hour overnight site shift $500–$750, typically $650. For an East Arm or Berrimah overnight shift, ask what the guard writes up at hand-over and how the firm bills a shift that runs past its finish.