Over a year, the same schedule at the $18.28 occupation median produces about $28,117, and at the $26 an hour top of the event range it produces about $40,560. That gap is the difference between a general post and a licensed one.
Gross earnings for a part-time event officer| Hours a week | At $18.28 an hour | At $22 an hour | At $26 an hour |
|---|
| 10 hours | $183 | $220 | $260 |
| 20 hours | $366 | $440 | $520 |
| 30 hours | $548 | $660 | $780 |
| 10 hours a week over 52 weeks | $28,117 | $28,600 | $40,560 |
What decides the rate on an event?
Three factors, and they are all visible in the event brief.
The first is the crowd size and the profile of the audience, because a general admission event is different work from a seated concert with a VIP area.
The second is the hours. A shift that starts at four in the afternoon and ends at one in the morning has an overtime structure and a fatigue element that a daytime shift does not.
The third is the responsibility, because an event with cash handling or a VIP entrance pays above one with neither.
Two questions get to the real number. Is the shift paid hourly or as a flat rate, and who is the employer, because a venue hiring its own staff and a staffing agency hiring contractors produce different paperwork.
Do you need a licence to work events?
It depends on the state and the post, and the employer usually checks before you are booked.
Most event work runs through a licensed security company, and that company handles the licensing checks. For roles that carry a weapon or work in a licensed venue, the requirements are stricter and the rate is higher.
Two practical points. Ask which company you will be contracted by, because the licence travels with the company rather than with you. And ask whether the rate quoted already includes the screening and uniform costs, because some agencies deduct them and some do not.
Our guide to part time customer service jobs remote covers the other common way into service work, and the rate structure there is easier to compare.
How do you find event security work?
Two channels, and the staffing agency is the one that fills the shifts.
Security companies that handle events advertise part-time and event positions, and they are the first place to look because they are the ones who staff the venues.
Venues with in-house teams post their own front of house and safety roles, which pay on the general service scale.
The second channel is the venue. A larger venue with a resident team hires its own event staff, and the rate is better because there is no agency margin in it.
Our guide to part time retail jobs hiring near you covers the comparable customer service routes.
Two questions to ask. Is the shift paid hourly or flat, and how many hours a week does the contract guarantee across the whole event calendar.
What changes about event security next?
Expect the screening work to be automated and the crowd work to keep paying.
Three forces shape the next two years. Ticket scanning and bag checks have moved to technology, which removes the customer-facing part of the shift. Crowd management has become more regulated after a series of safety failures, which raises the liability and the rate with it.
The third is staffing. Event work is casual by nature, and the employers have leaned on staffing agencies more, which takes a margin from the rate and adds a layer between the officer and the venue.
For a candidate the conclusion is that a resident team role is the better version of this job, because it has a steadier schedule and no agency margin.
Next steps
Check how the shift is paid before you check the rate, because a flat rate is not an hourly rate.
- Compare the rate with the $18.28 security guard median
- Ask whether the shift is paid hourly or as a flat rate
- Ask which company you will be contracted by and who handles licensing
- Check whether uniform and screening costs are deducted from the rate
- Ask how many hours a week the contract guarantees across the calendar
- Look for the venue resident team role, because it pays better
One final thought. The pay figures here are occupation medians and published employer rates, which is the best guide available before you apply.
htm">Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation profile gives the entry requirements and the training picture for security work, which is the quickest way to check what an employer will ask for on day one.
Photo: clinthilbert, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/tickets-ticket-roll-event-show-4732469/)
Fazlur Rahman
