How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Security Guard?
On XGuard, an unarmed security guard typically costs $35 to $60 an hour and an armed guard $55 to $95 an hour. A full eight-hour day therefore runs about $280 to $480 unarmed or $440 to $760 armed. Each professional sets their own rate, and it varies by city and notice, so you see it before you book.
What is the hourly rate for a security guard?
Rates on XGuard are set by the individual professional, not by the platform. Across the marketplace, unarmed guards typically charge $35 to $60 an hour. Armed guards typically charge $55 to $95 an hour. These are ranges, not quotes: where a guard sits in the range depends on the city, the notice you give, the hours and the experience of the person. No honest per-city average exists to publish.
Because the rate belongs to the professional, you see the actual number on their profile before you book. There is no callback quote and no lead form to fill in first.
How much is a security guard per day?
A day rate is simply the hourly rate multiplied by the length of the shift. Most guards do not publish a separate day price, so do the multiplication yourself.
- Eight-hour shift, unarmed: about $280 to $480.
- Twelve-hour shift, unarmed: about $420 to $720.
- Eight-hour shift, armed: about $440 to $760.
- Twenty-four-hour coverage at one post, unarmed: about $840 to $1,440, normally split across two or three guards because one person cannot stay alert for a full day.
Is there a minimum number of hours?
Most providers set a minimum booking window, commonly a few hours per shift. A guard who travels across town for a one-hour job loses most of the afternoon, so a short booking is often priced as if it were longer. The minimum for a given professional is shown on their profile before you confirm.
If you only need a guard for a short window, ask whether the professional will accept it, and compare that minimum across several profiles rather than just the hourly figure.
What makes the price go up?
Armed work costs more because it carries additional licensing and firearms training. Short notice can add a premium, since the guard may have to rearrange other commitments. Nights, holidays and big local events are in higher demand and tend to cost more. The type of post matters too: a quiet gatehouse is priced differently from a busy door where the guard handles crowds.
Longer, recurring bookings can sometimes be negotiated down, because the guard gets steady work and does not have to find the next job. Ask in the booking chat.
What else will I pay besides the guard's rate?
XGuard shows its fee as a separate line before you pay. How it is calculated is explained on the pricing page. Payment is held until the job is complete, then released to the professional.
For city-level context, see the cost guide for New York or Los Angeles. Those pages describe local demand but use the same national ranges, because no honest per-city price average exists to publish.
A worked example helps. Suppose you need one unarmed guard for a Saturday event, from 5 pm to 11 pm. That is six hours. At $35 to $60 an hour, the guard's time comes to about $210 to $360. If the professional has a four-hour minimum, the minimum does not matter here, but it would if you only needed two hours. If you book an armed guard for the same six hours, the range becomes about $330 to $570.
Now compare quotes properly. Check the rate, the minimum, any extra charge for short notice, and how breaks are handled on long shifts. A lower hourly rate with a long minimum can cost more than a higher rate with a short one. Ask each professional to confirm the total in the booking chat so you are comparing like with like.
Related questions
Is a security guard cheaper by the day than by the hour?
Not usually. Day rates are the hourly rate multiplied by the shift length. A longer or recurring booking is the better place to ask for a lower rate.
Why does an armed guard cost more than an unarmed guard?
Armed guards need extra licensing and firearms training, and the added responsibility is priced into the rate. On XGuard that is typically $55 to $95 an hour against $35 to $60 unarmed.
Can I get a price before I commit?
Yes. The professional's own rate and minimum are shown before you book, and the platform fee appears as a separate line.
Do prices change by city?
They can. City, notice and experience all affect the figure, and each professional sets their own.
Last reviewed