2025 U.S. Security Costs: What Business Owners Need To Know

Today’s security threats are just as likely to sneak into your company’s network as walk through the front door. That’s why business owners need two-pronged protection: physical security like guards and patrols, and digital defenses such as cybersecurity services.

Here’s a clear overview of 2025 business security service pricing to help business owners budget effectively when hiring security providers for physical or digital security services. This overview of security service costs 2025 is categorized into 3 areas- Physical Security Services, Digital Defenses, and Regional Pricing.

Security Starts at the Door: Protect Your People and Property

Physical Security Services

Cost of security services for business owners: For small to midsize businesses, about 1.5% to 3.5% of company operating costs should be allocated to physical security. Variables such as your type of business, crime risk, on-site valuables, insurance, investments in access control, CCTV or other equipment should be factored in. Here are some types and costs of physical security services:

Unarmed Security Guards	$25-$35/hour
Entry-level (has basic training, for low-risk areas)	$15-$20/hour
Intermediate (experienced w/ special industry training)	$20-30/hour
Mobile Patrols (varies by type, frequency, duration, risk, basic mobile patrol, foot patrol services, 24/7 coverage)	$45-$75/hr
Full 24/7 patrol coverage	$3,000-$10,000/mo
Armed Security Guards (for high-risk areas, asset protection)	$35-65/hour
Event Security (for crowd control, entrance monitoring)	$30-50/hour
Personal Bodyguards (trained to protect high-profile clients)	$75-$150/hour
Specialized Guards (specific for high-risk/emergency response)	$50-$100/hour

(Note: The average hourly wage for a guard in the U.S. is $19.44/hour).

Not All Break-ins Use a Crowbar: Why Digital Defense Is Essential

Digital Defense

Digital defense is essential- and can be pricey. The U.S. average cost for hiring a cybersecurity service provider is between $100-$149/hour. Note also that the average business cost per employee for robust cybersecurity coverage can range from $2,500-$2,800 annually. The more a business owner understands digital tools and their rates, the better equipped they are to protect their company- and their budget.

Below is an overview of 4 primary cybersecurity protections that business owners rely on to safeguard their company’s digital operations, along with typical pricing:

1. In-house security teams are an option for some companies- especially large enterprises that need control- and have the budget. An in-house team is an expensive business investment, and even a small business team can cost $250,000-$500,000/year for basic coverage. A single IT manager makes $65,000-$85,000/year, and healthcare, retirement, etc. can push costs up to $88,000-$120,000/year. Don’t forget additional ongoing training costs of $3,000-$5,000/year/employee and extra costs for tools, upgrades, licenses, etc. too.
2. IT service providers (like NerdsToGo, Arctic Wolf, Trustwave, CMIT Solutions, Dataprise, or Thrive) are known as MSPs (Managed Service Providers) that focus on general IT support, managing company networks, data backups, and firewall and endpoint protections. MSPs are digital tools that are best for small to midsize businesses (SMB) that mostly need help with tech, not cyberattacks.

IT service providers offer security services in several ways:

• By providing fully-managed services, becoming the entire IT department of a SMB that does not have their own.
• By offering co-managed IT that supplements a company’s existing IT department.

Here are some key takeaways for business owners when budgeting for MSPs:

• $99-150/user/mo services give solid IT support along with basic monitoring and antivirus services.
• $50-$150/user/mo (or $75-$250/device/mo) adds Managed Detection Response (MDR)-level tools to systems.
• Flat monthly retainer models (like Dataprise) work best for billing simplicity and companies using a co-managed IT service provider model.
• Incident-response services (e.g. from Thrive) offer emergency support and can be discounted in a bundle of other services.

3. CSaaS (Cybersecurity-as-a-Service) is another digital defense tool- a cloud-based platform that offers self-service security tools and automated protection. CSaaS is often a subset of what a full MSSP (Managed Security Services Provider) offers. It is affordable for small to midsize companies- as a monthly subscription where you only pay for the services or endpoints needed. Because it is delivered remotely, there is no hardware setup necessary. However it is a pre-packaged standard tool that may not work with niche infrastructure. Also its security is only as good as the vendor’s ability to deal with zero-day threats, response times or compliance. CSaaS vendors may not offer dedicated advisors-just ticket-based or chat-only support.

The full standalone price for CSaaS is around $195-$350/user/mo.

Adding CSaaS from a third-party vendor to an existing IT plan usually costs $35-$65/user/mo.

4. MSSP (Managed Security Services Provider) is a third-party company hired to protect a business from cyber threats- particularly those companies with sensitive data. Even though there is some overlap, MSSPs differ from MSPs, as their key focus is on cybersecurity/threat issues. Typical MSSP services include 24/7 threat monitoring, firewall and antivirus management, intrusion detection/prevention, incident response and breach support, and compliance support (e.g. HIPAA, PCI).

MSSPs are often the smartest choice of small to midsize businesses because:

• Businesses don’t have to build their own costly in-house security team
• MSSPs provide 24/7 monitoring against security threats (no staff burn out!)
• There’s no costly compliance mistakes by businesses- MSSPs are familiar with HIPAA, PCI, SOC 2 and other regulations.
• In case of a security breach, MSSPs can act fast to isolate and remediate.
• MSSPs have high grade tools (like SIEMs, EDR, threat intel platforms) that most businesses cannot afford.

PRICING MODELS for purchasing MSSP services can be per-endpoint, per-user, and tiered flat-fee plans.

Here is an example of a per endpoint model for securing a company’s desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets, servers, POS systems, and network printers- (the devices are known as endpoints).

Basic monitoring/management MSSP (e.g. A business that has 10 employee laptops, 5 smartphones, 2 office computers, and 1 file server has 18 endpoints- their service COST IS 18x$45=$810/mo)	~$45/endpoint/month
Premium MSSP services	~$73/endpoint/mo
High-end MSSP services	Up to $200/endpoint/ mo

Businesses can also choose per user pricing for MSSP services- common rates range from $150-$200/user/mo. Per user pricing is more ideal for business owners with employees that use multiple devices from various locations, or those owners that want predictable billing tied to headcount not tech inventory.

Finally, MSSPs come with flat-fee/tiered plans at $1,000-$5,000/mo for budgeting simplicity. These are best for businesses with compliance requirements (e.g. healthcare, government contractors, financial institutions), or those that do not have much turnover or many device changes (e.g. law firms, family owned businesses, research labs).

Regional Realities and the Price of Protection

Regional Security Pricing Analysis

Regional and city-based security pricing variables can impact a business owner’s budgeting plans. Different locations have assorted factors impacting costs for both physical and digital security (e.g. local wage and labor laws, unionization, licensing fees, crime rates, risk levels, urban vs rural settings, types of businesses, and internet, cellular, or insurance fees). Generally, security costs are 15-30% higher in major metropolitan areas (e.g. Washington DC) compared to rural locations.

(Based on unarmed guard hourly pay rates)
Rural to small metro areas	$15-$22/hr
Mid-sized or specialized markets	$22-$30/hr
Major metros like CA, NY	$30-$40/hr

Examples of fluctuating costs of security guards in various states :

State	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
California	$21.61	$44,940
New York	$21.28	$44,250
Texas	$17.16	$35,700
Florida	$17.30	$35,980
Illinois	$19.28	$40,110

Digital defense tools have cost adjustments across the US, similar to guard salaries. For example, MSSP rates vary by region with higher output in urban areas due to labor costs for skilled cybersecurity professionals, or increased regulatory requirements (like NYC’s NY Department of Financial Services). Conversely, rural areas generally have lower costs, based on lower local wages for IT professionals, fewer compliance needs, and less frequent cyber incidents.

However some rural areas do have higher costs– such as when limited broadband or IT infrastructure drives up set-up or remote-monitoring expenses. Additionally, businesses in rural areas can sometimes have fewer vendor options or limited internet availability, which can reduce pricing flexibility.

This overview illustrates the complex security landscape that business owners must navigate to obtain physical protection and digital defense for their companies. Understanding these layers and their pricing gives the support needed to make informed decisions to safeguard your people, property and data- without overspending.

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