One regulated sector, several job titles. Door supervision, site guarding, patrols, retail protection and event security are roles inside it, not separate occupations.
§34a GewO — the gate
Private security is activity-gated, like BaFin registration for investment advice and the driving licence for professional driving. The job title is unprotected; what you may do is not.
Three tiers, and which applies depends on the work:
| Tier | What it is | Required for |
|---|---|---|
| Unterrichtung | A 40-hour IHK instruction course, attendance-based, no exam | Basic guarding: site protection, reception, most static roles |
| Sachkundeprüfung §34a | An IHK examination — written and oral, covering law, powers and conduct | Door supervision at licensed venues, patrols in public space, retail detectives, refugee accommodation, protected large events, and anyone running a security business |
| Ausbildung | 2-year Servicekraft or 3-year Fachkraft für Schutz und Sicherheit | Nothing extra legally — but it is the route to supervision and better pay |
On top of all three: a Zuverlässigkeitsüberprüfung (reliability check), and entry in the Bewacherregister, mandatory since 2019. Employers must verify registration before deploying you.
The Sachkundeprüfung is a German-language legal exam — BGB, StGB, StPO, GewO, data protection, use-of-force limits. It is the real barrier for foreign applicants, not the work.
What the exam teaches, and why it matters
Security staff in Germany have no special powers. They act on the same rights as any citizen — Notwehr, Nothilfe, the citizen’s arrest right under §127 StPO — plus whatever the property owner may delegate through Hausrecht. Exceeding that is an offence committed by you personally.
That is the substance of the Sachkundeprüfung and the reason it exists.
Pay
The sector has regional collective agreements (BDSW / ver.di) and an AEntG-declared branch minimum wage above the statutory minimum, historically differentiated by Bundesland and by activity, with aviation security highest. Rates change and have been converging — check the current figures rather than trusting any written here.
All pay figures in these files are market estimates.
Profiles
- Fachkraft für Schutz und Sicherheit — the qualified occupation
- Sicherheitsmitarbeiter/in — the jobs most people actually do: site guarding, door supervision, patrols
Professions in this category
- Fachkraft für Schutz und Sicherheit (Security Specialist) The three-year qualification above the §34a courses.
- Sicherheitsmitarbeiter/in (Security Officer, Door Supervisor, Night Guard) The jobs most people in German private security actually do.