People search how much does a personal security guard cost about as often as they search how to hire one, and most of what they find is either a national average that means nothing in Miami or a range so wide it is useless. This guide does something different: it explains how the price is actually built, so you can predict your own quote before you make the call. FSO Guard is a Florida-licensed security agency (license B3100530) in Hollywood, between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and we price personal security details every day. We do not publish rates here, for reasons explained below, but we will give you a fixed written quote within the hour if you call.
What a personal security guard is, and what you are paying for
A personal security guard is a licensed security officer assigned to a person rather than a building: with you while you shop in Bal Harbour, outside your hotel room overnight, at the restaurant, at a family event, at the house after a break-in. The officer holds a Florida Class D license, works under an agency license, is insured, and follows written instructions agreed with you. You are paying for the officer’s time, for the agency that vetted, trained, insured and supervises that officer, and for the dispatcher who replaces them if they are sick at 5 a.m. See our private security guard services in Miami for what the service itself looks like.
How the hourly rate is built
Officer wage
The largest part. An experienced, presentable officer who can spend eight hours beside a client without being noticed earns more than a lobby guard, and should.
Payroll taxes, workers’ compensation and insurance
General liability, workers’ compensation and, for armed officers, firearms coverage. Roughly a third on top of the wage in Florida. An unlicensed freelancer skips this, which is why the freelancer is cheaper and why you carry the risk.
Supervision and dispatch
A supervisor who writes the plan, checks on the post and answers your call at midnight; a 24/7 dispatcher who fills a gap. Small agencies without this are cheaper until the officer does not show up.
Agency margin
What keeps the license current, the training running and the company in business next year. Legitimate agencies in South Florida run on modest margins; the difference between quotes usually comes from wages and insurance, not from greed.
What moves the price up or down
- Armed or unarmed. An armed Class G officer costs noticeably more per hour than an unarmed Class D officer, often approaching double. Most personal security work does not need a firearm. See armed bodyguards for when it does.
- Security guard or bodyguard. An officer with executive protection training, advance work and protective driving skills is a different product at a different rate. If you need someone at your side in a calm situation, you need the guard; if you have a threat, you need the bodyguard.
- Hours and shift length. A four-hour minimum is standard. Eight- and twelve-hour shifts lower the hourly rate; 24/7 coverage is priced as a program, not by the hour.
- Nights, weekends and holidays. Overnight and holiday shifts pay the officer more and cost you more. New Year’s Eve, Art Basel week and Formula 1 weekend in Miami are the most expensive days of the year for security.
- Notice. Same-day and next-day bookings carry a premium because the agency pulls an officer from somewhere else. Two or three days’ notice usually removes it.
- Location and travel. Miami-Dade and Broward are standard; Palm Beach, the Keys, Naples and Orlando add travel time, and a multi-day detail away from home adds lodging.
- Vehicle and driver. A security driver with an unmarked SUV is billed separately from the officer at your side. See security chauffeur services.
- Number of officers. Two officers do not cost twice as much per hour, but they do cost more. Agencies that size a detail honestly will tell you when one is enough.
- Duration of the arrangement. A guard every Saturday night for a year, or a monthly retainer, is priced well below the one-off rate.
Why we do not publish a price list
Two clients called us in the same week last month. One needed an unarmed officer for four afternoons of shopping and lunches with a visiting relative. The other needed an armed officer overnight at a house for two weeks after a threat, with a driver for the school run. A single published rate would have been wrong for both, and a range wide enough to cover both would have told them nothing. What we do instead: you describe the situation, we ask a few questions, and you receive a written quote with the hourly rate, the minimum, what is included and the total for the dates you gave, usually within the hour during business hours. Our guide on security guard cost in Miami covers property posts, and how much a bodyguard costs covers protection details in more depth.
What is usually included, and what is billed separately
Usually included
The licensed officer, uniform or plain clothes as agreed, radio or phone, a written plan or post orders, supervision and dispatch, a report after the shift, and the agency’s insurance.
Usually separate
Vehicle and security driver, parking and tolls, travel outside the standard area, lodging on multi-day trips, additional officers, technical services such as a bug sweep, and investigations if the situation calls for them.
Ask before you sign
Minimum shift, cancellation terms, overtime after the agreed hours, holiday rates, and whether the quoted officer is the officer who shows up.
Red flags
No agency license number, cash-only, a quote without questions, an officer who cannot show a Class D card, and any promise that an unarmed officer will carry a weapon.
How to keep the cost down without cutting safety
- Book two or three days ahead when you can.
- Choose unarmed unless there is a specific threat; ask the agency for its honest view.
- Combine needs: one officer who is with you by day and at the house by night, rather than two bookings.
- Use longer shifts and multi-day bookings; the hourly rate falls.
- Ask about patrol visits instead of a stationary guard for an empty home; see security patrol services.
- Be clear about the schedule; changes on the day are where costs grow.
How to hire a personal security guard in Miami
- Describe the situation: who needs protection, where, which dates and hours, and what prompted the call.
- Ask for a written quote with the hourly rate, minimum shift, inclusions and total.
- Verify the license: the agency’s B license and the officer’s D or G license, on the Florida Department of Agriculture site. Our guide to Florida security license classes explains what each means.
- Agree the plan in writing: post orders or a protection plan, the supervisor’s name and number, the reporting you will receive.
- Meet the officer, or at least receive the name and photo before the shift.
To get a fixed quote for a personal security guard in Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Palm Beach, call 888.881.8099, use the live chat or send the form on this page. Same-day details are routine in Miami-Dade and Broward. Related reading: how to choose a security company in Miami.
