Ask how much does a bodyguard cost and you’ll get a range, not a single number. Published figures come from many sources and they don’t agree, so treat every number below as a market indication rather than an official benchmark. No state regulator or industry association sets a standard rate.
For hourly work, one 2026 guide puts unarmed personal bodyguards at roughly $25–$60 per hour and armed protection at $60–$150 or more (talo.com). Another source places executive protection at $75–$150 per hour and standard unarmed officers at $25–$45 (personalprotectionsolutions.us). A consumer marketplace reports a lower national figure of $45–$65 per hour, with typical project totals of $195–$614 (thumbtack.com). That lower average blends many kinds of jobs and providers. It’s a reference point, not a quote.
Day rates are what most people end up searching for when they ask how much does a bodyguard cost by the day. Single-day services are quoted at $600–$4,000 (cascadiaglobalsecurity.com), while other guides cite $1,000–$3,000 or more per day for executive protection (prontoguards.com). The spread is wide because "bodyguard" covers very different jobs, from an unarmed escort at a private event to an armed protective agent shadowing a principal all day.
The armed versus unarmed split is the clearest dividing line in the numbers. Armed work costs more because it demands additional licensing, training, insurance and liability exposure. Unarmed protection is often entirely adequate for visible deterrence, event presence and escort duties. Which one you need depends on the risk, not on appearances, and the final section picks that question back up.
An hourly rate rarely tells you the real answer to how much does a bodyguard cost. Many firms apply a daily minimum of four to eight hours, so a two-hour request may still be billed as a half or full shift (personalprotectionsolutions.us). That isn’t padding. A protective agent has to travel, prepare, brief and stand down, and those hours are blocked off for your assignment.
Duration changes the effective rate too. Short-term event work can run 10–20% more than an equivalent long-term daily rate (cascadiaglobalsecurity.com). A weekend gala, a one-night public appearance or a rush booking is harder to staff and plan than a recurring weekly assignment, and pricing reflects that. Booking early and committing to a predictable schedule generally gives you more room to control cost.
Here’s a simple way to run the numbers: multiply the hourly rate by the billable minimum, then by the number of agents. One agent on an eight-hour shift at the lower end of the published ranges lands in the low hundreds of dollars. The same shift with two armed agents at executive-protection rates climbs into the thousands. Neither figure is unusual, and either can be the right price for the right job.
If you only need coverage for a few hours, ask the provider what the minimum is before you compare quotes. Two quotes that look far apart per hour can end up close once minimums are applied, and two that look similar can diverge sharply.
Three broad factors move the price: who is protecting you, how serious the risk is, and where the work happens. Agent qualifications come first. Agents with military or law-enforcement backgrounds, advanced medical training or protective-driving skills command higher rates than entry-level personnel, and the difference shows in how they handle a situation going wrong.
Threat level is the second driver. A routine corporate event is a different job from protecting someone who faces a specific, credible threat. Higher risk usually means more agents, advance work on routes and venues, and armed coverage, and each of those adds cost. Armed assignments in particular raise the rate, as the hourly ranges above show.
Location and travel matter as well. In one comparison table, international work runs 40–60% above domestic rates (fash.com). Local markets differ too: Los Angeles guides list ordinary unarmed guards at $28–$55 per hour and executive protection at $85–$160 or more (msbprotection.com). I found no published bodyguard pricing specific to Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach counties, so confirm any South Florida figure with a direct quote rather than assuming national averages apply.
Finally, ask whether a threat assessment is included. These are often billed separately, with figures of $750–$3,000 cited for the service (cascadiaglobalsecurity.com). An assessment isn’t an upsell for its own sake. It’s how a professional decides how many agents you need, whether armed coverage is justified, and which routes and venues carry the most risk. Done well, it keeps you from overspending or under-protecting.
The cheapest hourly rate isn’t always the lowest cost. A rate from a licensed, insured agency covers things an independent or unaffiliated guard may not: state licensing, background screening, liability insurance, supervision and a company that stands behind the work. One industry source notes that cheaper guards often lack a licensed, insured firm behind them (grsprotection.com).
Why does that matter to you? If an unlicensed or uninsured guard is injured on your property, or an incident involves a use of force, liability can flow back to the person who hired them. A licensed agency carries insurance and compliance obligations that take much of that risk off your shoulders. Vetting matters just as much. Reputable firms confirm identity, criminal history and training before placing anyone in front of a client. If you’re weighing providers, our guide on how to vet a licensed executive protection firm walks through the checks worth making.
Background is part of what the rate buys, too. Pricing is often tied to a military or police history, which signals discipline, judgment under pressure and familiarity with protective procedure (grsprotection.com). At National Alert Security, most of our team are former military and law enforcement, and that experience is built into how we staff every assignment. We’d rather you understand what a rate includes than chase the lowest number and discover the gaps later.
When you compare quotes, put the same questions to each provider. Is the firm licensed in Florida? Is liability coverage in place? How are agents screened? Who supervises the detail? Straight answers explain a price difference better than any rate sheet.
Start with the risk, not the price. A low-cost, unarmed officer is often enough when the goal is visible deterrence, access control or crowd management, such as at a community event, a healthcare facility or an apartment building. Executive protection fits when a specific person faces a specific concern, when travel and routes need planning, or when a public figure needs close, discreet coverage. You can read more about bodyguard services, our broader executive protection work and the role of security officers to see which fits your situation.
A few concrete criteria help you decide:
Because South Florida pricing isn’t well documented in public sources, the most reliable way to learn how much does a bodyguard cost for your situation is a direct conversation. Describe the date, location, number of people involved and your concern, and ask for a written quote that lists the rate, the minimum and what’s included. If you’d like to talk it through, you can contact our team for an assessment of what level of coverage makes sense. A fair quote should leave you clear on what you’re paying for and why.