Unarmed guards typically run $20–$35 an hour and armed guards $35–$75 — but the number on your quote is built from local wages, insurance, and coverage hours, and it varies by 50% across states. Here's how security pricing actually works in 2026, state by state, and how to avoid overpaying.
Private security is priced as an hourly bill rate — the all-in price you pay a company per guard, per hour. In 2026, that rate typically runs about $20–$35 an hour for an unarmed guard and $35–$75 for an armed guard, with event, patrol, and executive-protection work priced higher. But those ranges are only a starting point. The real number on your quote is assembled from local wages, insurance, supervision, and how many hours you need covered — which is why the same post can cost 50% more in Washington, D.C. than in Texas, and why two bids for the "same" guard can differ by 40%.
Unarmed: ~$20–$35/hr. Armed: ~$35–$75/hr. Round-the-clock coverage of a single post runs roughly $15,000–$25,000 a month unarmed and $25,000–$50,000 armed, depending on your local rate. High-cost metros like San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. sit at the top of every range; lower-wage states like Texas, Florida, and Tennessee at the bottom.
What security guards cost in 2026
Here are the typical 2026 hourly bill rates a client pays a licensed security company in the US. These are industry ranges gathered across multiple providers — treat them as a sanity check, not a quote, because your actual price depends on the factors below.
| Service type | Typical hourly bill rate (2026) |
|---|---|
| Unarmed security guard | $20–$35 (up to ~$40 in high-cost metros) |
| Armed security guard | $35–$75 ($100+ for high-risk posts) |
| Mobile patrol (shared route) | Often billed per visit; lower than a dedicated post |
| Event security | $25–$50 unarmed / $50–$100 armed, 4-hr minimum |
| Executive protection | $85–$175+ per agent (armed often $150+) |
| Off-duty sworn police officer | $50–$150 |
The single biggest split is armed versus unarmed: armed coverage generally costs 40–60% more per hour because of firearms licensing, extra training, and substantially higher insurance. For a deeper look at when that premium is worth paying, see our guide on armed vs. unarmed guards.
What drives the price
Five levers explain almost every difference between quotes:
- Armed vs. unarmed. The largest single factor, for the licensing and insurance reasons above.
- Guard skill and background. Officers with law-enforcement or military experience, specialized training, or a clean long tenure command more than entry-level staff.
- Coverage pattern. Overnight, weekend, and holiday shifts carry premiums (commonly 1.25–1.5×, and often 2× on holidays), and continuous 24/7 posts require multiple guards in rotation.
- Contract length. A long-term contract prices below short-term or one-off event work, where the company can't amortize recruiting and onboarding.
- Location. Local minimum wage and cost of living set the floor — the difference between a $7.25 minimum-wage state and an $18 one flows straight into the bill rate.
Why the bill rate is higher than the guard's wage
Clients are often surprised that a $30/hr bill rate doesn't mean the guard earns $30. The gap is real and structural. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median security-guard wage at about $18.45/hour (median annual $38,370, May 2024). The bill rate for that same guard is commonly 1.5–2× the wage, and the difference is not pure profit. Here's roughly where a bill rate goes:
- Guard pay: ~55–65% of the bill rate.
- Employer payroll taxes: Social Security and Medicare (7.65%), plus federal and state unemployment.
- Workers' compensation insurance: notably expensive for security work.
- General liability insurance (and firearms coverage for armed posts).
- Uniforms, equipment, and technology (reporting apps, GPS tour verification).
- Recruiting, background checks, and training.
- Field supervision — the supervisor who visits the post and verifies rounds.
- Administration and profit margin: typically 10–15%.
If a bill rate is at or below the prevailing local guard wage, the provider is likely underpaying staff, skipping insurance or training, or misclassifying workers — all of which become your problem when something goes wrong. The cheapest bid is rarely the safest. Compare our full breakdown of security guard prices.
A worked example: how a bill rate is built
It's easier to trust a quote when you can see the math. Take a guard earning $19 an hour in a mid-cost market and watch the bill rate assemble itself:
| Component | Per hour |
|---|---|
| Guard base wage | $19.00 |
| Payroll taxes (FICA, unemployment) | +$1.65 |
| Workers' compensation | +$1.70 |
| General liability insurance | +$0.60 |
| Uniforms, equipment, technology | +$0.55 |
| Recruiting, background checks, training | +$0.70 |
| Field supervision | +$1.20 |
| Subtotal (fully-loaded cost) | ~$25.40 |
| Administration + profit margin (~12%) | +$3.00 |
| Bill rate to client | ~$28.40 |
That's a bill rate about 1.5× the guard's wage — squarely in the normal range. The exercise also explains the red flag: if a competitor quotes $22 an hour for the same $19 guard, the math simply doesn't close. Something is being skipped — workers' comp, adequate insurance, real supervision, or legal pay — and that gap becomes your risk. When a bid looks too good, ask the provider to walk you through this same buildup; a legitimate company can, and a corner-cutter can't.
Reverse-engineer any quote: what your guard is actually paid
Here's a test almost no buyer runs, and it's the single most predictive thing you can do with a bid. Because the guard's wage is roughly 55–65% of the bill rate, you can work backwards from any quote to estimate what the officer on your site actually earns — and a guard paid at or near the local minimum wage will turn over constantly, which is the number-one cause of unreliable coverage, no-shows, and unstaffed posts. Multiply the bill rate by about 0.6 to approximate the wage, then compare it to the local minimum and market pay:
| Bill rate | Implied guard wage (≈ ×0.6) | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| $22/hr | ~$13 | Below minimum wage in California, New York, and Washington; only viable in the lowest-cost states, and thin even there. |
| $26/hr | ~$16 | At or near minimum in California; sustainable in low-cost markets, tight in mid-cost ones. |
| $30/hr | ~$18 | Healthy in low- and mid-cost markets; near the minimum in top metros like SF and NYC. |
| $35/hr | ~$21 | Competitive in most markets and workable in high-cost metros. |
| $42/hr | ~$25 | Strong even in the most expensive cities — the range where you get experienced, stable officers. |
If a bidder's number implies a wage at or below your local minimum (check the state table above), one of two things is true: the math doesn't close and they can't actually deliver what they promised, or they really are paying that little — and you'll feel it in turnover and coverage gaps within months. Ask every provider to state the guard pay rate, not just the bill rate; the honest ones will, and the number tells you whether the coverage will hold up.
Monthly and 24/7 coverage costs
Hourly numbers get abstract fast, so here's the math that matters for a staffed post. Continuous coverage is 168 hours a week — about 730 hours a month — and takes roughly 4.2 full-time guards to staff once you account for relief, time off, and turnover.
| Coverage | Hours/month | Approx. monthly cost (unarmed) |
|---|---|---|
| One 8-hour shift, weekdays | ~173 | ~$3,500–$6,100 |
| One 12-hour shift, daily | ~365 | ~$7,300–$12,800 |
| 24/7, single post | ~730 | ~$14,600–$25,600 |
Armed 24/7 coverage of a single post commonly runs $25,000–$50,000 a month. These figures are illustrative — they move with your local bill rate and any overtime or holiday premiums — but the 168-hour math is fixed, and it's the fastest way to reality-check a monthly proposal. Want a tailored estimate? Try our security cost calculator.
Security costs by state
Where you are matters more than almost anything else, because local wages and minimum-wage floors ripple straight into bill rates. The table below shows the average security-guard wage (BLS mean, May 2025) and the 2026 state minimum wage for major states — a good proxy for where bill rates sit. States with $7.25 minimums and lower average wages (Florida, Georgia, Texas, the Southeast) anchor the bottom of the national range; high-wage states and their big cities (D.C., Washington, Virginia, New York, Colorado, California) anchor the top.
| State | Avg. guard wage | 2026 min. wage | Notable city minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | ~$29/hr | ~$18 | — |
| Washington | ~$24.40/hr | $17.13 | Seattle $21.30 |
| Virginia | ~$22.60/hr | $12.77 | DC-metro (N. Virginia) |
| New York | ~$22.30/hr | $17.00 (NYC area) | NYC $17.00 |
| Colorado | ~$22/hr | $15.16 | Denver $19.29 |
| Minnesota | ~$21.90/hr | $11.41 | Minneapolis / St. Paul $16.37 |
| Missouri | ~$21.70/hr | $15.00 | — |
| California | ~$21.60/hr | $16.90 | SF ~$19.60; LA ~$18.40 |
| Massachusetts | ~$21.50/hr | $15.00 | — |
| Maryland | ~$21.40/hr | $15.00 | Montgomery Co. ~$18 |
| Illinois | ~$21.30/hr | $15.00 | Chicago $17.05 |
| New Jersey | ~$20.90/hr | $15.92 | — |
| Arizona | ~$19.70/hr | $15.15 | Flagstaff $18.35 |
| Michigan | ~$19.50/hr | $13.73 | — |
| Pennsylvania | ~$19.30/hr | $7.25 (federal) | — |
| Ohio | ~$19.20/hr | $11.00 | — |
| North Carolina | ~$18.80/hr | $7.25 (federal) | — |
| Texas | ~$18.50/hr | $7.25 (federal) | — |
| Georgia | ~$18.20/hr | $7.25 (federal) | — |
| Florida | ~$18.10/hr | $14.00 | rising to $15 (Sep 2026) |
Wages are BLS mean hourly figures (OEWS, May 2025) and minimum wages are 2026 figures; several cities and counties set higher local minimums and some adjust mid-year, so confirm the current local rate. As a rule of thumb, expect bill rates in the high-wage states to sit 25–50% above the low-wage states for an equivalent post. Browse licensed providers in Los Angeles, Chicago, and other cities in our directory.
Estimated bill rates by market tier
The national ranges and the state wage table combine into something more useful: an estimate of what unarmed and armed coverage actually costs in your kind of market. Grouping states by wage floor and cost of living gives three tiers — a practical way to sanity-check a quote before you get three of them.
| Market tier | Example states / metros | Unarmed | Armed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-cost | TX, FL, GA, NC, TN (federal minimum wage) | ~$20–$28/hr | ~$32–$48/hr |
| Mid-cost | IL, AZ, VA, CO, NJ, Chicago | ~$25–$35/hr | ~$38–$60/hr |
| High-cost metro | SF, NYC, Seattle, Washington D.C., LA, Boston | ~$30–$45/hr | ~$50–$95/hr |
These are estimates built from local wages plus the typical markup — not quotes — so treat them as a range to test bids against, not a price. If a bid for a high-cost metro comes in at low-cost-tier pricing, that's your cue to run the reverse-engineering test above: the number probably can't cover a legal wage in that market, which means something is being cut.
Hidden costs to watch
When comparing quotes, look past the headline rate for costs that often aren't in the initial proposal:
- Overtime and holidays. Holidays commonly bill at 1.5–2×. Confirm how the 11 federal holidays are handled and what happens when a guard stays past the scheduled shift.
- Annual wage escalation. Many states raise the minimum wage every year. Check whether the contract passes that increase straight through to your rate or caps the annual adjustment.
- Substitution/fill cost. If a guard calls out, does the company cover the replacement as part of the service, or bill it extra?
- Technology install. Access control, CCTV, or alarm hardware and installation can be a separate up-front cost, not part of the monthly rate.
- Supervision and reporting. Confirm supervisor visits and access to the reporting platform are included, not billed separately.
- Minimums. Event and short-shift work usually carries a 4-hour minimum per guard.
Cost by service type, in detail
The headline hourly rate hides real differences between the kinds of security you might buy. Here's how the major service types price out in 2026, and what you're actually paying for in each.
Unarmed guards are the workhorse of the industry and the cheapest staffed option at roughly $20–$35 an hour. A reception or lobby officer, an overnight warehouse guard, or a retail loss-prevention presence all fall here. The rate rises with overnight and weekend shifts and with any specialized duty — a guard who also runs an access-control desk, monitors CCTV, or greets visitors commands more than one who simply stands a post.
Armed guards run about $35–$75 an hour, 40–60% above unarmed, because of firearms licensing, additional training, requalification, and dramatically higher insurance. Reserve armed coverage for genuine, documented threats — cash handling, banks and jewelers, dispensaries, and high-value assets — rather than defaulting to it. Our armed vs. unarmed guide walks through the decision.
Mobile patrol is the most cost-effective option when you don't need a guard on site every minute. Instead of a dedicated post, a marked vehicle checks your property on a schedule (and on random visits), typically billed per visit or as part of a shared route across several clients. For a parking lot, a construction site after hours, or a small business park, patrol can deliver meaningful deterrence at a fraction of a 24/7 post.
Event security is priced per guard per shift with a 4-hour minimum, at roughly $25–$50 an hour unarmed and $50–$100 armed, plus supervisor premiums and often off-duty police for traffic or alcohol. Because events are short and staffing spikes, the per-hour rate sits above a long-term contract post. See our event security guide for staffing math.
Executive protection is a different tier entirely — $85–$175+ per agent per hour, or $1,200–$2,500 a day, scaling into the mid-six figures annually for 24/7 coverage. You're paying for trained close-protection agents, advance work, secure transportation, and protective intelligence, not a guard on a post. Our executive protection guide covers the full cost picture.
Corporate and campus security programs bundle several of the above — a mix of static posts, patrol, access control, and monitoring across one or more sites — and are usually priced as a monthly program rather than a single hourly rate. Larger programs unlock volume discounts but add management overhead (a dedicated account manager, reporting, and coordination), which is worth paying for at scale.
A regional deep dive
The state table above tells the numeric story; here's the intuition behind it. The West Coast and the Northeast corridor — California, Washington, New York, Massachusetts, plus Washington, D.C. and its Virginia and Maryland suburbs — are the highest-cost markets in the country, driven by high minimum wages (Seattle and several California cities top $18–$21), expensive workers' compensation, and strong demand. Expect bill rates 20–40% above the national norm, and higher still in the urban cores of San Francisco, New York, and D.C.
The Upper Midwest and Mountain West — Minnesota, Colorado, Illinois around Chicago — run surprisingly high for guard labor, often because of unionized, industrial, and gaming/casino security concentrations that lift the average wage even where the state minimum is moderate. The South and Sun Belt — Texas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas — anchor the low end: most sit at the $7.25 federal minimum with state preemption of local wage-setting, and average guard wages hover around $18 an hour, so bill rates are correspondingly lower. That doesn't mean lower quality — it means the labor market is cheaper, which is exactly why national companies with multi-state footprints see such different invoices city to city.
The cost of not having security
Security is easy to read as a pure cost, but the more useful frame is risk transfer. Weigh the monthly rate against what a single prevented incident is worth: the value of protected inventory and equipment, business interruption while you recover from a break-in, the liability exposure of an assault or injury on an unmonitored property, and the harder-to-measure cost of employees and customers who no longer feel safe. Many commercial property and crime insurers also offer premium credits for documented, professional security — worth asking your carrier about. Viewed that way, a $15,000–$25,000 monthly 24/7 post is often a fraction of the downside it's insuring against, and the right question isn't "what does it cost?" but "what does an incident cost, and how much of that am I buying down?"
How security contracts are priced
Beyond the hourly number, providers package pricing in a few common structures, and the right one depends on how predictable your needs are:
- Hourly. The most common — you pay the bill rate for the hours actually worked. Best when coverage varies or you want to scale up and down.
- Flat monthly (managed program). A fixed monthly fee bundles a defined scope (posts, patrol, supervision, reporting). Predictable and easy to budget, ideal for a stable, ongoing program across one or more sites.
- Per-visit. Typical for mobile patrol — you pay per check rather than for a stationed guard, spreading a vehicle's cost across several clients.
- Per-event or day rate. Standard for events and short engagements, usually with a 4-hour minimum.
Whatever the structure, make sure the contract spells out overtime, holiday, and escalation terms so the headline number doesn't drift.
One-time and setup costs
The recurring rate isn't always the whole bill. Depending on the site, expect some up-front costs: a site survey or risk assessment to design the program, onboarding and post-order development, specialized uniforms or equipment (high-visibility gear, radios, duty vehicles), and any technology installation — access control, cameras, or alarm hardware — which can run from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars separate from the monthly rate. Ask which of these are included versus billed once, so a low monthly rate doesn't hide a large setup invoice.
How to size your security budget
If you're starting from scratch, a few heuristics help you land in the right ballpark before you collect quotes. Anchor the spend to what you're protecting — a warehouse holding $2M of inventory justifies far more than a low-traffic office — and to your risk profile (crime in the area, prior incidents, cash on site, public exposure). Many organizations tier coverage: a baseline of unarmed presence or patrol everywhere, with heavier staffing at the highest-risk points. Benchmark against peers in your industry and city, and remember that under-spending has its own cost — a single prevented loss or liability claim can dwarf a year of coverage. The goal isn't the cheapest program or the most elaborate one; it's the level that actually matches the risk you've documented.
Three pricing games to watch for
Once you can read a rate, you can spot the three ways bids are engineered to look cheaper than they are:
- The teaser rate. A low first-year price that escalates sharply at renewal, sometimes locked in by a long auto-renewing term. Defense: ask for the rate in years two and three in writing, and cap the annual escalation in the contract.
- The blended rate. A single average number that hides a cheap base wage — the officer is underpaid even though the headline rate looks normal, so turnover is baked in. Defense: demand the pay rate and bill rate separately, and run the reverse-engineering test above.
- The "all-inclusive" that isn't. A rate that quietly excludes overtime, holidays, supervisor visits, technology, or fill coverage, so the real invoice lands 15–30% over the quote. Defense: get every add-on and premium itemized before you compare — apples to apples.
None of these are always malicious, but each one makes a bid look better than the service it buys. The provider that volunteers its pay rate, escalation terms, and every add-on up front is usually the one you want.
How to get an accurate quote
Published ranges can't price your specific site — only an itemized proposal can. To get a number you can trust and compare fairly:
- Give every provider the same scope. Same hours, same posts, same armed/unarmed status — otherwise you're comparing apples to oranges.
- Ask for the bill rate, the guard pay rate, and the multiplier between them. Transparency here separates serious companies from lowball operators.
- Confirm licensing and insurance. A legitimate company holds a current state license and carries workers' comp and general liability. Learn how to verify a security company's license and use our license verification guide.
- Get overtime, holiday, and escalation terms in writing. They're where a "cheap" quote quietly gets expensive.
- Compare at least three licensed providers. It's the best defense against both overpaying and dangerously underpriced bids.
Ways to lower the cost
The price of security is floored by labor costs, but there are legitimate ways to get better terms:
- Longer contracts. Annual contracts often price 8–15% below month-to-month because they reduce the company's vacancy risk.
- Volume. Multiple posts or locations open room for a 5–10% discount.
- Prepayment. Quarterly or semi-annual prepayment can earn a few points off.
- Schedule flexibility. Structuring shifts to minimize overtime and holiday coverage lowers the total.
- Right-size the coverage. A mobile patrol or part-time post may deliver the deterrence you need for a fraction of a dedicated 24/7 guard.
Ready to see real numbers for your location? Get free quotes from licensed security companies in your area, or browse verified security companies near you.
Frequently asked questions
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