Security Progressive Wage Model: A job born out of necessity became a career in security

Benjamin Tay did not set out to build a career in security.

At 16, while he was completing his N Levels, his father died.

Benjamin continued with his studies and enrolled in the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), but another family crisis soon followed: his mother suffered a stroke.

His younger brother and sister were still in school – too young to work. His family needed both care and financial support.

As the eldest of three children, Benjamin knew he had to take up responsibility.

Halfway through ITE, he made the difficult decision to leave school and start working.

What began as a decision driven by circumstances would eventually lead Benjamin to a career he never imagined having.

Today, at 32, he is a Security Supervisor with Henderson Security, leading officers on shift and overseeing security operations at his deployment site.

From part-time security work to a full-time career

After leaving school, Benjamin worked odd jobs part-time before serving National Service (NS) with the Singapore Police Force.

After NS, he obtained his security licence and began taking on ad-hoc security assignments with various security agencies.

For about two years, security jobs were simply a way to earn an income rather than a long-term profession he saw himself in.

That changed in 2016.

At 22, Benjamin joined Henderson Security as a full-time security officer. One of the biggest attractions was the stability of permanent employment.

As an ad-hoc officer, his income depended on whether work was available.

“If that day you work, you get salary. You don’t work, you don’t get salary,” he said.

Going full-time meant having benefits such as annual leave and greater employment stability.

Just months after he joined Henderson Security, the Security Progressive Wage Model (PWM) came into effect on 1 September 2016.

His career grew alongside the initiative.

Security Supervisor Benjamin Tay monitoring CCTV systems as part of his security duties.

How the Security Progressive Wage Model supports career progression

The PWM is designed around four interconnected ladders: skills, productivity, wages and career progression.

For security officers, this means acquiring the competencies needed to advance into progressively more senior roles, with greater responsibilities and corresponding wage progression.

Benjamin started at the security officer level, where his duties included learning the fundamentals of guarding, patrolling, responding to incidents and providing security services.

Soon after joining Henderson Security, he pursued further training and progressed to Senior Security Officer.

The new role exposed him to more specialised responsibilities, including operating surveillance systems and dealing with difficult situations.

He recalled learning how to monitor CCTV systems and manage disorderly behaviour, including handling intoxicated members of the public.

Under the current Security PWM career ladder, Senior Security Officers can take on duties such as operating security and safety systems and monitoring security or fire command centres.

Security Supervisors, one level higher, take on responsibilities including direct supervision, incident management and reporting, and executing evacuation plans and exercises.

For Benjamin, however, moving up again was not automatic.

Taking the next step to become a Security Supervisor

Benjamin remained a Senior Security Officer for several years.

About five years ago, an opportunity for a Security Supervisor opened up at his current deployment site.

Rather than waiting for progression to come to him, he decided to prepare himself for the role.

He enrolled in the required training on his own.

There was also a personal motivation.

Benjamin was preparing to get married.

His future wife encouraged him to upgrade himself, while rising living costs made him increasingly conscious that he could not remain at the same income level indefinitely.

“I cannot stay in a position for too long; things are getting expensive. Because there is a career pathway, I must upgrade myself,” he said.

Through his Security Supervisor training, Benjamin learnt how to manage different scenarios, including fire emergencies and trespassing incidents.

He subsequently moved into the supervisor role.

Greater responsibility comes with higher wages

Benjamin estimated that when he first became a full-time Security Officer in 2016, he earned about $2,400 per month, including overtime.

Today, under the 2026 PWM wage ladder, the baseline monthly wage for a full-time Security Supervisor is $3,690.

The wage ladder is scheduled to rise further to $3,910 in 2027 and $4,130 in 2028.

Benjamin has seen the difference over his decade in the industry.

Higher wages also helped him continue supporting his family.

For Benjamin, progression has never been solely about himself.

The responsibility he first assumed as a teenager has not disappeared.

His mother can now manage most of her daily activities, but still requires regular medical check-ups.

Earning more has made it easier for him to contribute towards her medical expenses, household costs and utility bills.

When asked about his wage progression, he said: “Earning more now is definitely better, because I can contribute more to my family and my mother.

“I can give more to her medical expenses, the expenses of the house and the bills.” 

Changing perceptions of security careers in Singapore

When Benjamin entered the industry a decade ago, he remembers encountering a familiar perception: security work was something people did after retirement.

He thinks that is slowly changing.

Over the past five or six years, Benjamin said he has noticed more young workers entering the security industry, including officers younger than he is.

His advice to younger people is not to see security as merely a temporary job.

“There are a lot of opportunities to learn and progress in this industry. You can build a career in this industry.”

For those who are hardworking and willing to take responsibility, he believes there is room to move forward.

For Benjamin, his journey is not over yet as he is already preparing for his next move.

He has begun working towards the Senior Security Supervisor role, with just two training modules left to complete.

A decade ago, security started as a practical way for Benjamin to earn a living after circumstances forced him to leave school early.

Today, it is a career in which he has developed new skills, taken on leadership responsibilities and built greater financial stability for himself and his family.

Click here for more information on the Progressive Wage Model.