Job prospects Security Agent in Québec

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "security agent" in Québec or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Québec

These outlooks were updated on December 11, 2024.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be moderate for Security guards and related security service occupations (NOC 64410) in Quebec for the 2024-2026 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Employment in this occupation depends on the protection needs of governments, businesses, and the public.   

Some of the employment opportunities should come from employee turnover due to working conditions that are specific to this occupation (work schedule and staff intervening in urgent and difficult situations).    

Increasing economic insecurity and homelessness are enhancing the sense of insecurity and stimulating demand for security services in establishments, such as shopping malls, office buildings and health care and social services facilities.          

The occupation will continue to be affected by technological advances in surveillance and control (alarm and video surveillance systems), which reduce the intensity of labour needs and make the job more complex and specialized.     

While job prospects for this occupation are moderate across the province, they will be very limited in the Côte-Nord and Nord-du-Québec regions.    

 

Here are some key facts about Security guards and related security service occupations in Quebec:

• Approximately 32,050 people work in this occupation.
• Security guards and related security service occupations mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Management and administrative services (NAICS 55, 56): 64%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 79% compared to 82% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 21% compared to 18% for all occupations
• 57% of security guards and related security service occupations work all year, while 42% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 41 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
• Less than 5% of security guards and related security service occupations are self-employed compared to an average of 12% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 78% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: 22% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: 13% compared to 12% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 30% compared to 19% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 23% compared to 19% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 22% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 8% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 11% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Québec by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Job prospects elsewhere in Canada

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "security agent" Security guards and related security service occupations (NOC 64410) or across Canada.

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