How Much Do Security Guards Cost? A Pricing Guide

The Short Answer

Contract security is usually priced as an hourly bill rate for each officer on each post. There is no single national price, because the rate reflects local wages, the type of officer, the hours and the requirements of the site. Two quotes for the same building can differ widely if they assume different officers, different supervision or different insurance.

McCray does not publish standard rates, because each rate depends on the post. McCray provides a written rate schedule after reviewing each site’s needs. The sections below explain the factors any buyer should expect to see reflected in a quote.

What Security Officers Earn

The officer’s wage is the largest single part of the cost. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, security guards (SOC 33-9032) had a national median hourly wage of $18.28 in May 2025, with a mean hourly wage of $20.42 across 1,283,470 jobs.

Pay varies widely. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook reports that the median annual wage for security guards was $38,020 in May 2025, that the lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,210 and that the highest 10 percent earned more than $58,840. Median annual wages also differed by industry: $44,920 in healthcare and social assistance, $37,350 in investigation, guard and armored car services, and $35,640 in retail trade.

These are wages paid to officers. They are not the price a client pays for an hour of coverage.

Why the Wage Is Not the Bill Rate

When a business hires a security company, the hourly bill rate covers the officer’s wage and everything the company must provide to put a licensed, insured and supervised officer on the post. That typically includes:

• Employer payroll taxes and contributions required by federal and state law
• Workers’ compensation insurance for officers
• General liability and other insurance the client’s contract requires
• Licensing, registration and required state training for each officer
• Pre-assignment screening and site-specific training
• Field supervision, scheduling and a staffed operations desk
• Incident reporting systems and client reviews
• Replacement coverage when an officer is sick, on leave or leaves the company
• Uniforms, equipment and general overhead

The balance among these costs differs from company to company and from post to post. For that reason, a quote should be judged on what it includes, not on how far it sits above a published wage figure.

What Drives the Hourly Rate

Local Wage Levels

Officer wages follow the local labor market. Rates in a high-cost metro area will generally be higher than in a lower-cost market for the same post. BLS publishes wage estimates for metropolitan areas through the OEWS data tables, which can help buyers understand the local baseline.

Armed or Unarmed Coverage

Armed coverage costs more. It requires additional state licensing and firearms training, stronger supervision and insurance that covers armed services. In New York, for example, armed guards must hold a pistol permit and complete a 47-hour firearms course and an 8-hour annual firearms course. In Florida, a Class G license requires 28 hours of firearms training and 4 hours of requalification each year. Many sites do not need armed officers. See Armed vs. Unarmed Security Officers for Retail.

Licensing and Training Requirements

Each state sets its own training rules, and those hours are a real cost. New York requires an 8-hour pre-assignment course, a 16-hour on-the-job course and 8 hours of annual in-service training. Florida requires at least 40 hours of training for a Class D license. California requires 32 hours of Security Officer Skills training and 8 hours of continuing training each year. Specialized posts add more: retail officers trained in organized retail crime recognition, fire guards who must hold a certificate from the local fire authority, or officers with active shooter training. See the Service Areas pages for each state’s requirements.

Overtime and Holiday Coverage

Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, covered nonexempt employees must receive overtime at not less than time and one-half their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. A post that requires an officer to work beyond 40 hours, or a schedule that is hard to fill without overtime, raises the cost. The FLSA does not itself require premium pay for holiday work, as the Department of Labor explains, but holiday coverage is commonly billed at a premium because it is harder to staff.

Hours, Shift Length and Schedule

The total number of hours, the shift length and the time of day all affect the rate. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook notes that security guards usually work shifts of about 8 hours on rotating schedules, and that night shifts are common. Overnight, weekend and split-shift posts can be harder to staff consistently, and very short shifts or occasional hours can carry a higher rate than steady full-time coverage.

Supervision and Reporting

A quote that includes unannounced supervisor visits, a 24-hour operations desk, GPS-verified clock-ins and documented incident reports carries costs that a bare staffing quote does not. These are often the difference between a post that is covered on paper and one that is covered in practice.

Insurance Requirements

Landlords, property managers and corporate risk teams may set minimum insurance limits and may require certificates naming them as additional insureds. Higher limits and armed coverage increase the security company’s insurance costs, which are reflected in the rate.

Post Complexity and Officer Experience

A lobby post with clear access rules is different from a luxury boutique floor, an executive protection detail or a high-value delivery. Posts that call for more experienced officers, retired law enforcement or off-duty police officers cost more. McCray matches each post to an officer tier under the Officer Classification Program.

Short-Notice and Event Coverage

Coverage requested on short notice, or for a single event, requires the company to find, brief and schedule officers quickly. It is usually billed at a higher rate than planned, recurring coverage. See Special Event Security.

Contract Length and Program Size

Longer agreements and larger programs allow a security company to recruit, train and retain a stable team for the site, which can affect pricing. Short trial periods and one-off assignments carry more setup cost per hour.

How to Compare Security Quotes

The lowest hourly rate is not always the lowest cost. A quote that leaves out supervision or replacement coverage can lead to missed shifts, untrained substitutes and gaps in reporting. To compare quotes on equal terms, buyers should confirm that each one covers:

• Licensing: every officer holds the license or registration the state requires for that post, armed or unarmed
• Training: the state-required hours plus site-specific training, and specialized training where the post needs it
• Screening: the steps each officer completes before assignment
• Supervision: how often supervisors visit, whether visits are unannounced and who answers calls overnight
• Reporting: how incidents are documented, how quickly the client receives reports and whether records are time-stamped and location-verified
• Replacement coverage: how open shifts are filled and who covers when the regular officer is out
• Insurance: the limits and coverage types, including armed coverage where relevant
• Premium rates: how overtime, holidays, overnight hours and short-notice requests are billed

For a fuller checklist, see How to Choose a Retail Security Provider.

Ways to Control Cost Without Weakening Coverage

• Match the officer to the risk. Many sites are well served by unarmed officers, with armed coverage added only for high-risk periods.
• Schedule officers for the hours when incidents actually occur, based on incident records.
• Use mobile patrol for sites that need periodic checks rather than a full-time post.
• Pair officers with remote video monitoring for after-hours coverage.
• Start with a security risk assessment so coverage is built around the site’s real exposure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average hourly cost of a security guard?

There is no single average bill rate, because rates depend on the market, the officer and the post. As a reference point for wages only, BLS reports a national median hourly wage of $18.28 for security guards in May 2025. The bill rate a client pays is higher, because it also covers payroll taxes, insurance, licensing, training, supervision and overhead.

Why does McCray not publish its rates?

Each rate depends on the officer classification, armed or unarmed status, hours, schedule and site requirements. McCray provides a written rate schedule after reviewing each site’s needs.

Are armed security officers more expensive?

Yes. Armed officers require additional state licensing and firearms training, stronger supervision and insurance that covers armed services. Armed posts are assigned only after a review of the site’s risk, lease and insurance requirements.

Does holiday or overnight coverage cost more?

Usually. Holiday, overnight and short-notice coverage is harder to staff and is commonly billed at a premium rate. Overtime under federal law applies to hours over 40 in a workweek, regardless of the day.

Is mobile patrol less expensive than a full-time officer?

For sites that need periodic checks rather than continuous presence, patrol can cover several locations on one route instead of placing an officer at each one. Whether it fits depends on the site’s risk and hours. See Mobile Patrol Security Services.