Compare security guards companies in San Diego and request free quotes.
Typically from $8,800 USD per guard post/month. See prices →
58 companies · Page 1 of 2
ABSOLUTE PRIVATE SECURITY
ACTIVE PROTECTION SERVICES
ALL POINT SECURITY
ALPHA GROUP PROTECTIVE SERVICES, INC.
ATLAS DEFENSE GROUP, INC.
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BALD EAGLE SECURITY, INC
BARRETT PROTECTIVE AGENCY
CANOPY SECURITY SOLUTIONS
CAT III SECURITY
CIVIL SECURITY SOLUTIONS
CONSTRUCTS OF DEFENSE
EAGLES POINT SECURITY
ELITE SHOW SERVICES INC
EVERWATCH SECURITY SERVICES
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION & SECURITY AGENCY
GE4S GOLDEN EAGLE 4 SECURITY, CORP.
GOLD COAST SECURITY FIRM
GUARD WEST SECURITY SERVICES
I GUARD SECURITY
INVICTA SECURITY CA CORPORATION
IRON GROUP PROTECTIVE SERVICE
KINGDOM PRIVATE SECURITY,INC
LAFEVER MICHAEL SECURITY
LEONIDUS SECURITY SERVICES
LUTZ PROTECTION SERVICES
MAXPRO SAFE AND SECURE
NEW VISION PROTECTION SERVICES
ODYSSEY UNLIMITED
OWENS & ASSOCIATES INVESTIGATIONS
PROACTIVE SECURITY
R B W SECURITY
R M I WORLD SERVICES
ROMAN SECURITY
SCIMITAR SECURITY
SDBS - SECURITY INC
SECUR IT GUARD
SENIOR SECURITY GUARD SERVICES
SIGNAL OF OC/SD
Hiring security guards in San Diego usually comes down to one decision: a visible, licensed uniformed post to deter and observe, staffed around your real risk hours rather than 24/7 by default.
In San Diego, demand for security guard companies is driven by a heavy military and defense-contractor presence and biotech and life-sciences campuses. The sectors that most rely on this service include military and defense, biotech and life sciences, cross-border logistics, with specific needs in areas such as the Gaslamp Quarter and waterfront, the Otay Mesa cross-border corridor, Torrey Pines and Sorrento Valley research campuses. The city's main security concerns — cleared-facility access control and cross-border cargo theft — make working with a licensed, professional provider a priority investment for businesses and homeowners.
HireSecurityNow.com connects you with licensed security guard companies companies in San Diego. Compare options, review profiles and request free quotes to find the provider that best fits your needs and budget.
Estimated range per guard post/month in San Diego:
$8,800 — $14,000 USD
That puts San Diego about 10% above the US national range ($8,000 — $12,800) — local wage floors, cost of living and competition for licensed officers all push rates up.
Armed officers typically run about 35% more than unarmed coverage for the same post — the premium covers the firearm permit, range requalification and the higher insurance the provider carries. In San Diego that puts an armed post around $12,000 — $19,000 USD per guard post/month.
One guard covering a 12h daily post, billed at $22–$35/hr unarmed. Varies with schedule (day/night), officer experience and site requirements. 24/7 coverage requires 2–4 officers per post.
Reference estimates. See security guards prices in every city →
Before you hire
A complete, step-by-step guide to hiring a licensed security guard company in the US: defining needs, verifying license and insurance, checking training (with state-by-state hours), supervision, comparing bids, red flags, and the contract.
Read the security guards buyer's guidePrivate security in California is licensed at the state level by the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), Department of Consumer Affairs. A legitimate company operating in San Diego holds a Private Patrol Operator (PPO) license, which means it has cleared California BSIS's ownership, background-check and insurance requirements. Ask for that license number in writing and verify it yourself — a certificate on the wall tells you nothing about current standing, since a license can be suspended or revoked.
Hiring an unlicensed company is a risk you carry. In California, operating without a license is misdemeanor (Cal. Business & Professions Code §7582.3). Operating as an unlicensed private patrol operator (or knowingly engaging a non-exempt unlicensed one) is a misdemeanor punishable by a $5,000 fine, up to one year in county jail, or both; falsely holding oneself out as licensed (badge, ID/business card, letterhead, or advertising) is a separate misdemeanor with a fine up to $10,000, and a conviction bars BSIS licensure for one year (five years on a second offense).
San Diego scores 70/100 on our Crime Index (grade C), which makes it safer than 45% of the 759 US cities we track. The index is built from FBI Crime Data Explorer reports for a population of 1,409,432.
Crime Index
Crime rates describe a city, not a specific address — the right level of coverage depends on your block, your hours and what you're protecting. Use the neighborhood breakdown to see how San Diego varies internally before you scope a contract.
See the full San Diego Crime Index and neighborhood breakdown58 providers below list security guards in San Diego. Ranking is based on verifiable signals, but the last checks are yours — and they are the ones that decide whether a contract holds up.
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