Your route into security
How to become a security officer in Canada
Check your eligibility
- Confirm legal entitlement to work in Canada.
- Check the destination's age, identity and screening requirements.
- Choose ordinary guarding, then check additional requirements for specialist roles.
Choose your destination
Open the province or territory guide to identify the applicable worker route and local terminology.
Check eligibility and costs
Confirm work entitlement, screening and any employer involvement; budget for tuition, tests, first aid and authorisation separately.
Complete local requirements
Use an accepted provider, pass the required assessment and obtain any necessary worker licence before starting the relevant duties.
Training in Canada
What training do you need?
Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec publish defined basic-training routes. CAN/CGSB-133.1-2017, reaffirmed in 2022, provides a national curriculum reference; provincial and territorial authorities determine acceptance.
How long is the training?
Basic routes include 40 hours in several provinces and a 70-hour school-service-centre route in Quebec. Employer induction, first aid, tests and application time add to the journey.
How much does it cost?
Training providers in Canada
Training provider
Columbia College Calgary
Alberta Basic Security Training (ABST)
- Course duration
- 40 hours; self-directed online or classroom delivery in Calgary.
- Published price
- Online: CAD 130 plus CAD 30 exam. Classroom: CAD 260 with exam included.
Alberta. Provider-published course details checked 2026-09-16. Its main course table advertises 40 hours; a later paragraph refers to 38.5 hours of instruction. Confirm the current approved delivery and any additional proctoring charge. Provincial licence and police checks are separate.
Check course detailsTraining provider
Justice Institute of British Columbia
Basic Security Training: SCRT-1651 theory and SCRT-1656 assessment
- Course duration
- 40 hours; self-paced online within eight weeks, or classroom.
- Published price
- CAD 343.77 theory + CAD 3.26 learner services + CAD 64.14 assessment.
British Columbia. JIBC delivers BST on behalf of BC's Security Programs Division. Fees checked 2026-09-16. Licence and fingerprinting costs are separate; assessment delivery depends on location.
Check course detailsTraining provider
Commissionaires Manitoba
Manitoba Security Guard Training Program
- Course duration
- 40 hours in classroom, followed by the provincial exam.
- Published price
- Price available on enquiry; the reviewed course page publishes no tuition amount.
Manitoba. Listed on Manitoba Justice's approved-trainer page. Provider publishes 2026 classroom dates and a registration enquiry. Confirm tuition, exam booking and screening costs. Listing establishes a research example; any referral relationship requires a separate agreement.
Check course detailsTraining provider
Ontario Security Hub Inc.
Online Security Guard Course and Emergency First Aid / CPR Level C / AED
- Course duration
- Advertised 40-hour route; security content online and first aid in person.
- Published price
- CAD 199 plus HST with first aid; CAD 119 plus HST for security content with first aid arranged separately.
Ontario. Publicly advertised Ontario course, checked 2026-09-16. Verify current ministry listing and first-aid location before paying. Provider's separate provincial test-price guidance differs from Ontario's study guide; budget and book using the current official testing service.
Check course detailsPrices and availability are checked on the dates cited. Directory inclusion identifies a source to investigate; confirmed partnerships are agreed separately.
Security guard & officer pay
How much do security guards earn in Canada?
Job Bank reports a median of CAD 21.00 per hour for NOC 64410, security guards and related security service occupations. Reference period: 2023–2024; Labour Force Survey; table updated 2025-11-19. This occupational benchmark includes different roles and experience levels.
Median gross hourly wage, NOC 64410 · 2023–2024; published 2025-11-19
Compare hours, gross or net pay, overtime and benefits. Wage floors and occupational medians describe different measures.
Before you take your next step
- Work and immigration authorisation needs a separate eligibility check through IRCC.
- Recognition when moving provinces depends on the destination authority and the credential held.
- Listed providers are researched examples. Confirm current course approval, availability and price before enrolment.
- Get Licensed learning material must be labelled as supplementary preparation until the relevant authority approves a qualifying course.
Official sources and course information
- Ontario basic training
- Alberta worker route
- Quebec required training
- National Standard CAN/CGSB-133.1-2017 reaffirmed 2022
- IRCC working in Canada
- Job Bank wages, NOC 64410
Reviewed 2026-09-16. Follow the current instructions for your precise role and work location.