The Hook:

When residing in Edmonton and you are contemplating the idea of hiring a security guard, be it your business, an event or a property, the question you are likely to ask yourself is: What does it cost here?

The Promise:

Here, I will take you through the average hourly charges of security services in Edmonton. I will demonstrate to you what determines those rates. And I will even tell a story on the basis of my personal experience of hiring security.

TL;DR (Quick Answer)

• To a large number of the security guards, most likely unarmed, in Edmonton, anticipate approximately CA$17–22 per hour.
• To offer more specialized or risky services, companies could charge CA$25–45+ per hour of shift work, overnight or additional duties.
• It is a quote that should always be obtained because the price may vary significantly depending on what kind of guard, when, and work.

Table of Contents

1. What is recent with regards to security guard wages in Edmonton.
2. What are the actual charges to clients by security companies – why the variance.
3. Major Considerations that influence Hourly Rates.
4. Experience: Edmonton experience with hiring a guard.
5. Hiring security in Edmonton frequently asked questions.
6. Conclusion & CTA

The Body

What the Current Statistics Reveal on the wages of security guards in Edmonton

The labor-market data of Edmonton shows that:

• According to one source, the median pay of a security guard is about CA$21.57 per hour.
• The other recent modification is that wages in the positions of armed security guard are, in most cases, starting at about CA$17/hour with a median of about CA$20/hour and reaching up to CA$28.50/hour depending on the experience and the employer.
• Numerous advertisements of the typical, unarmed guard positions attract a salary between the ~CA$15–$18 per hour range.

What this implies: this is what guards will be paid—but what you will pay as a customer will be more. The compensation of the guard is not the only component of the payment. Kafkaesque

Why and what Real Security Companies Charge Clients

When you contract with a security company in Edmonton, you are not only paying the time of a guard but overhead, training, insurance, license compliance, supervision and in some cases 24/7 response service or special services.

• There is advertising of some Edmonton companies that offer a base rate of approximately CA$28/hour of front-desk or unarmed guard services.
• In more demanding or risky work the rates may increase to CA$25–45 per hour or higher depending on the time of the shift, responsibilities, place of work, and the degree of risk associated with it.

Generally speaking, you should pay a few cents more than what a guard would earn per hour since there are much more expenses to be met by the company.

The most important influencing factors on the hourly rates in Edmonton

The price depends on a number of factors. The major ones include:

• Security type needed: Simple front-desk or patrol security vs. event security, night shift, or specialty.
• Timing of the shift: Nights, weekends, or holiday are normally costlier.
• Risk Level & Responsibility: Construction, valuable assets and high-traffic venues are not limited to high-risk sites.
• Length of Contract: Long-term/regular contracts can be cheaper than short-term/event work on a per-hour basis.
• Additional Tech (CCTV, alarm monitoring) or armed guards, mobile patrol, or supervision; this will increase the cost.
• Location Within Edmonton: The rates might be higher in central, busy or high-security areas.

My Personal Experience of hiring a guard in Edmonton

One of my friends is down in downtown Edmonton, and she owns a small commercial property a few months ago. We were required to have a guard to cover nightly lobby between 10:00 PM and 4:00 AM during a week. We believed that it is important to have security since the building was old and had a background of unauthorized entry. On calling a security firm in my local area, they charged CA$32/hour unarmed guard. This shocked me a little, as it was over the normal ranges of an employee wage. However, the reasoning was valid night shift, possibility of unauthorised entry, paperwork, reporting and the fact that uniform, insurance and backup support had to be provided by the firm. Their guard was tremendous: recorded entries, screened IDs at the door and even called management once when someone had tried forcefully to sneak into the premises late in the night. They were worth it in terms of the peace of mind. Experience does show, that one does pay more than a body standing there. You are paying up reliability, accountability, liability coverage and trained staff.

Frequently Asked Questions about hiring of security in Edmonton

Q: Do you have different hourly rates during night or weekends?

A: Night shifts, weekends, or holiday cover ups are usually more costly and risky and hard to cover because of high demand, increased risk, and staffing problem.

Q: What is the difference between event security and ordinary property security?

A: Events come with increased number of guards, possibly crowd-control training, and even reduced notice which strains rates even higher than typical day-to-day security.

Q: When the wage of a guard is about 18–22/hr, why then am I paying more than 30?

A: You are not paying the guard his work only. Training and licensing, overheads, scheduling, management, and profit margin of the company are also paid by you.

Q: Does it cost less to employ a person on his part other than through a company?

A: It might. However, liability, training, insurance, scheduling yourself you will have to do on your own, which is a risk and many times not a worthwhile endeavor.

Conclusion & CTA

When hiring security in Edmonton you should assume that the average price of the clients would be in the CA$28–45/hour range may vary a bit lower or higher based on the timing of the work and the needed level of security. You are not only paying to provide a guard but you are also paying to provide training, coverage, reliability and a sense of peace. In case you are going to hire, call a few companies and explain them what you require—shift and duties, the amount of risk that you need to take, and request a detailed quotation. That will assist in making comparisons that are fair. In case you were useful with the above guides, I have more guides about hiring services—event planning, security, staffing—do not forget to tell me or read the next writing.

Call to Action:

4416 97 Street NW Edmonton AB T6E5R9 Telephone: 780-816-8181 Email: sierrasecurity.ca