Bodyguard pricing confuses people because the same question has four different answers depending on what you actually need. One protector for a four-hour appearance costs one thing. A two-vehicle motorcade with a four-person detail costs something else entirely.
This guide breaks down what protection costs in 2026 using real published rates, not vague ranges, so you can budget before you pick up the phone.
Bodyguard cost at a glance
Every booking has a four-hour minimum. The figures above are list prices before the discounts covered later in this guide.
What you actually get at each level
Protector Lite ($129/hr). One licensed, insured, background-checked protector in business casual or business formal attire. No vehicle. This is the right choice for a public appearance, a meeting, a court date, or any situation where you need a professional presence beside you and you are handling your own transport.
Protector Premium ($199/hr). One protector plus a luxury SUV with a dedicated driver. The vehicle changes what is possible: airport pickups, multi-stop days, and controlled arrivals and departures. If your day involves moving between locations, the vehicle usually matters more than the protector's resume.
Executive Transport ($299/hr). One to two protectors with a Cadillac Escalade or Chevrolet Suburban. This is the standard package for executive travel, secure ground transport, and days that mix office, venue, and airport. Two protectors allow one to stay with the vehicle while the other stays with you.
Elite Detail ($599/hr). Two to four protectors and multiple vehicles, with advance team coordination. Advance work means someone visits the venue before you arrive, walks the routes, identifies exits, and coordinates with venue security. This is what high-net-worth principals and public figures book.
Custom Detail (quoted). Five or more protectors, armed teams where state law permits, and continuous coverage. Priced individually because the variables are too specific for a rate card.
Private bodyguard, personal security, private security: same thing?
These terms get used interchangeably in search, and the pricing is the same, but they carry slightly different meanings in the industry.
Private bodyguard usually means one-on-one close protection for an individual. You are the principal, and the protector stays with you. Starts at $129/hr.
Personal security is the broader category covering close protection, secure transport, and residential coverage for a person or family. Same rate card applies.
Private security more often refers to property, venue, or event coverage rather than a specific person. Stationed guard work sits at the lower end of the range because it involves a fixed post rather than movement.
Executive protection is a program rather than a booking. It bundles advance work, threat assessment, secure transport, and route planning around a corporate principal, typically starting at $299/hr with Executive Transport.
The practical takeaway: what you call it matters less than how many protectors you need, whether a vehicle is involved, and how long the engagement runs.
What moves the price up
More protectors. Additional protectors beyond what your plan includes are added at $99/hr each. A Lite booking with a second protector runs $228/hr.
More vehicles. Additional Escalades are $79/hr each, driver included. A two-vehicle convoy on Executive Transport comes to $378/hr.
City. Rates carry a location multiplier. New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco run 20 percent above base. Miami, Chicago, Washington DC, Boston, and Las Vegas run 10 percent above. Everywhere else is base rate. A Protector Lite booking in Manhattan is $155/hr rather than $129/hr.
Timing. Weekend bookings add 20 percent. Federal holidays add 25 percent. Same-day bookings add 30 percent. These stack, so a same-day Saturday booking carries both.
Armed coverage. Available where state law permits and where the protector holds a current armed carry permit. Armed assignments require additional licensing verification and carry a separate liability endorsement, which is quoted per engagement.
Overnight coverage. Multi-day engagements away from a protector's home market include hotel and per diem, quoted separately.
What a real booking costs
Four-hour evening appearance, one protector, no vehicle, weekday, mid-size city. Protector Lite at $129/hr for the four-hour minimum: $516.
Airport pickup and full day, one protector with SUV, weekday. Protector Premium at $199/hr for eight hours: $1,592, less the 10 percent long-booking discount, so $1,433.
Executive travel day, two protectors and one Escalade, twelve hours. Executive Transport at $299/hr for twelve hours: $3,588, less the 12 percent discount that applies at twelve hours or more, so $3,157.
Weekend event, four-person detail with two vehicles, eight hours in Miami. Elite Detail base $599/hr, plus $79/hr for the second Escalade, times the 1.1 Miami multiplier, times the 1.2 weekend multiplier: roughly $895/hr, or about $7,160 for the day before discounts.
Same-day emergency, one protector, four hours. Protector Lite at $129/hr plus the 30 percent same-day surcharge: $168/hr, or $672 for the minimum booking.
Cost per day, week, and year
Buyers searching for annual figures are usually weighing continuous coverage against occasional bookings. Here is the math at list rates before volume pricing.
Genuine round-the-clock coverage costs considerably more than the annual figures above, because 24/7 protection requires a rotating team rather than one person working impossible hours. A single post covered continuously runs roughly 8,736 hours per year, which at Protector Lite rates is over a million dollars annually.
Almost nobody buys protection this way. Most principals book coverage around specific exposure: travel days, public appearances, litigation windows, or periods following a credible threat. That is why occasional booking at an hourly rate usually beats a full-time hire on both cost and quality.
Engagements above 40 hours per month are quoted as retainers with volume pricing rather than at list rates.
Bodyguard salary versus what it costs to hire one
A lot of people searching for bodyguard cost are actually asking what bodyguards earn. These are different numbers, and the gap confuses buyers.
A protector's wage is one component of the hourly rate you pay, and usually not the largest one. The rest covers:
- State security licensing and continuing certification
- Professional liability insurance, plus an armed endorsement where applicable
- Background screening and ongoing vetting
- Vehicle, fuel, maintenance, and commercial vehicle insurance on packages that include transport
- Advance work performed before you arrive, which is unbilled time on most plans
- Communications equipment and coordination
- Company overhead, scheduling, and 24/7 dispatch
This is why an hourly rate looks high next to an hourly wage. When you hire through a licensed firm you are buying a covered, insured, documented service, not renting a person.
The practical risk of ignoring this: an individual advertising private protection well below market rates is usually unlicensed and uninsured. If something happens on that engagement, the liability lands on you.
If you are researching the profession rather than hiring, our guide on bodyguard training requirements covers the licensing path.
Event security cost by guest count
Event pricing depends on headcount, venue layout, and whether any attendee carries elevated risk. A rough staffing guide for private events:
A 90-guest private event with two protectors over six hours works out to roughly $1,368 at base rates. Weekend timing and a major-market location push that higher.
Venue-required coverage is a separate question. Many venues mandate a minimum number of licensed staff regardless of your own assessment, so confirm venue requirements before you book. Our event security page covers the details.
How to bring the cost down
Four discounts apply automatically, and they stack:
Book online: 10 percent off. Applied at checkout on every online booking.
Book 14 or more days ahead: another 5 percent. Advance booking takes the total discount to 15 percent, and it gives the team time to do proper advance work. Both improve the outcome.
Longer bookings cost less per hour. Eight hours or more takes 10 percent off. Twelve hours or more takes 12 percent. Twenty-four hours or more takes 15 percent.
Avoid surge windows where you can. Shifting a Saturday booking to a weekday removes the 20 percent weekend multiplier. Booking ahead instead of same-day removes 30 percent.
A weekday, eight-hour Protector Lite booking made three weeks in advance: $1,032 list, less 10 percent for duration and 15 percent for online plus advance, comes to about $790.
Is it worth it?
That depends entirely on your exposure. For someone managing a credible threat, a contested public appearance, or travel through an unfamiliar high-risk environment, the cost of coverage is small next to what it protects against.
For event work the calculation is usually about liability. One licensed, insured protector often costs less than a venue's exposure on a single incident.
The honest answer for most people: if you are unsure whether you need protection, you probably need a conversation rather than a booking. Talk to our team and we will tell you if a smaller package covers your situation, or if you do not need coverage at all.
You can see the full breakdown on our pricing page, or book online with the discount applied automatically.
FAQ
How much does a bodyguard cost per hour? Between $129 and $599 per hour depending on the plan. Protector Lite is $129/hr for one protector without a vehicle. Elite Detail is $599/hr for a two to four person team with multiple vehicles. All bookings carry a four-hour minimum.
How much does it cost to hire a bodyguard for one day? An eight-hour day runs $1,032 at Protector Lite rates, $1,592 at Protector Premium, $2,392 at Executive Transport, and $4,792 at Elite Detail. Bookings of eight hours or more receive a 10 percent discount, and booking online takes off another 10 to 15 percent.
What is the cheapest way to hire a bodyguard? Protector Lite at $129/hr for the four-hour minimum, booked online at least 14 days ahead on a weekday. That combination applies the full 15 percent online and advance discount and avoids surge pricing, bringing a four-hour booking to roughly $439.
How much does a private bodyguard cost per year? Full-time coverage at 40 hours per week runs about $268,000 per year at Protector Lite rates and roughly $622,000 at Executive Transport rates. Genuine 24/7 coverage requires a rotating team and costs significantly more. Most principals book coverage around specific exposure rather than continuously, and engagements over 40 hours per month are quoted as retainers.
How much do bodyguards get paid? A protector's wage is one part of the rate you pay. The rest covers licensing, liability insurance, vetting, vehicles, advance work, equipment, and dispatch. That is why the hourly rate to hire a licensed firm sits well above an individual hourly wage.
Does the rate include a vehicle? Protector Lite does not include a vehicle. Protector Premium includes a luxury SUV with a driver. Executive Transport includes an Escalade or Suburban. Elite Detail includes multiple vehicles. Additional Escalades are $79/hr each with a driver.
How much does executive protection cost? Executive protection starts at $299/hr with Executive Transport, covering one to two protectors and a vehicle. Larger corporate programs move to Elite Detail at $599/hr or a custom quote. See our executive protection cost guide for a full breakdown.
Do you charge extra for weekends or holidays? Yes. Weekends add 20 percent, federal holidays add 25 percent, and same-day bookings add 30 percent. These stack. New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco carry a 20 percent location multiplier, and Miami, Chicago, Washington DC, Boston, and Las Vegas carry 10 percent.
Is armed protection more expensive? Armed coverage is available where state law permits and the protector holds a current armed carry permit. It requires additional licensing verification and a separate liability endorsement, so it is quoted per engagement rather than at a flat rate.
Can I hire a bodyguard for just a few hours? Yes. The minimum is four hours. That floor exists because proper advance work and briefing cannot be compressed below it.
Are cheaper bodyguards just as good? No. Anyone advertising private protection well below market rate is almost certainly unlicensed and uninsured, which shifts the liability onto you. Always verify state licensing, insurance, and background screening before any engagement. Our vetting checklist covers what to ask for.