Business & Finance
U.S. private security industry expands to $50 billion amid rising safety anxiety
Corporate spending, insurance demands, and public concern over high-profile violence have fueled the private security sector even as official crime rates decline.
The short version
- U.S. private security sector revenue surpassed $50 billion in 2025, driven by heightened corporate spending, municipal mandates, and public safety concerns.
- The number of security guards in the U.S. reached nearly 1.3 million in May 2025, almost doubling the count of traditional police and sheriff's patrol officers.
- Despite the sector's growth, labor advocates highlight that guards experience high turnover rates, low average pay, and elevated on-the-job safety hazards.
Key facts
- U.S. private security industry revenue grew 17% over a decade to exceed $50 billion in 2025, according to Robert H. Perry & Associates.[CNBC]
- Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows nearly 1.3 million Americans worked as security guards in May 2025, roughly twice the number of police and sheriff's patrol officers.[CNBC]
- According to Equilar, approximately 40% of S&P 500 companies provided executive security services in 2025, up from under 19% in 2019.[CNBC]
- Security industry giant Allied Universal employs around 800,000 workers globally and generates roughly $23 billion in annual revenue.[CNBC]
- A UC Berkeley Labor Center report found an 89% annual turnover rate in the security sector in 2024, with guards earning an average wage of $20.42 per hour as of May 2025.[CNBC]
- Government data indicates violent victimizations fell 71% from 1994 to 2024, yet Gallup polling in late 2025 found nearly half of U.S. adults believe crime is rising.[CNBC]
What remains uncertain
- The timing and structure of any potential initial public offering for Allied Universal remain undetermined as the firm assesses its capitalization.[CNBC]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.