How much does a security guard cost in India?

There is no single price for a security guard, and any vendor who quotes one number is hiding the detail. A guard’s cost is really three separate figures added together:

1. Basic wages — the wage for the role, shift and site. This varies by state and by whether it is day or night.
2. Statutory costs — the employer contributions the law attaches to those wages (PF, ESI, bonus, gratuity, professional tax).
3. Service charge — the deploying agency’s fee for recruitment, supervision, reporting and the operating layer.

The number you should compare between offers is this full build-up, not a bundled monthly price. The rest of this page explains each piece, shows what it looks like across states, and links you to the tool that computes your own figure.

Want the exact number for your state and skill level? The labour-cost calculator applies the statutory rates to your wage, and the pricing page explains how the build-up works end to end.

The three components of cost

1. Basic wages

The base salary depends on your state and the worker’s skill level. Minimum wages are set state by state (not centrally), which is why the same guard role costs differently in Delhi, Karnataka and West Bengal. Metropolitan cities carry the highest rates — Bengaluru’s unskilled floor is now the highest in India after Karnataka’s 2026 wage revision — while tier-2 and tier-3 cities sit lower.

Because the wage drives every statutory percentage on top of it, the state and the wage level are the two inputs that matter most when budgeting for multiple national locations.

2. Statutory costs

Six mandatory components attach to the wages of every compliant guard in India:

1. Minimum wages — the base salary, set by your state and the worker’s skill level.
2. Employer Provident Fund (PF / EPF) — the employer contributes 12% of basic wages, capped at the ₹15,000 statutory wage ceiling.
3. Employee State Insurance (ESI) — the employer contributes 3.25% of wages while monthly wages are within the ₹21,000 ESI ceiling.
4. Annual bonus — a statutory profit-sharing payment of at least 8.33% of wages (subject to the calculation ceiling and eligibility).
5. Gratuity — an accrual for completed service (15 days’ wages per year), which eligibility rules gate under the labour codes.
6. Health, safety and welfare — annual health check-ups, safety equipment and, in states that levy it, professional tax and labour-welfare fund contributions.

These statutory components typically add roughly a third to the base salary, which is why a “cheap” headline wage can still produce a far larger all-in figure. The labour-cost calculator applies the exact percentages on your wage.

3. Service charge

Security agencies charge a fee beyond the wages and the statutory contributions. This service charge typically runs six to ten percent of the total cost. It covers recruitment, mandatory training and site management, and it is where uniform, communication equipment and supervision live. A transparent vendor quotes it as a separate line, not hidden inside the wage.

State-by-state minimum wages (indicative, verified Aug 2026)

The table below shows indicative unskilled monthly minimum-wage rates for Shops & Establishments / security-guard employment, drawn from the latest state notifications (checked against official gazettes where available — Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra). Many states use wage zones, so the figure shown is the highest (urban) zone. Minimum wages are revised at different times in different states, so treat these as a reference and confirm the current notification for your state before budgeting.

State	Effective	Unskilled monthly (urban)	Notes
Andhra Pradesh	Apr 2026	₹13,249 (Zone I)	₹12,499 (Zone II); varies by zone
Assam	Jan 2026	₹10,543	State-wide
Chandigarh	Oct 2025	₹14,562	Union territory
Delhi	Apr 2025	₹18,456	Highest in the north (≈₹88.8/hr); no Oct 2025 revision — a fake order circulated, ignore it
Gujarat	Apr 2026	₹13,325 (Zone I)	Zone II ₹13,039
Haryana	Apr 2026	₹15,221	Official gazette; unified across all employments
Karnataka	Apr 2026	₹23,376 (Zone I)	Now highest in India; Zone II ₹21,251, Zone III ₹19,319; a 60% hike (May 2026) with a legal challenge pending
Maharashtra (Zone I)	Jan 2026	₹13,921	Mumbai/Pune; Zone II ₹13,325, Zone III ₹12,728
Punjab	May 2026	₹13,486
Rajasthan	Jan 2023	₹7,410	Not revised since 2023
Tamil Nadu	Apr 2026	₹14,120 (Zone A)	Security-guard band; Zone D ₹13,906
Telangana	Apr 2026	₹14,484 (Zone I)
Uttar Pradesh	Apr 2026	₹11,021
West Bengal	Jan 2026	₹10,386 (Zone A)	Zone B lower

Figures are indicative and zone-dependent. Wages are set state by state and revised at different times — some states revise twice a year, others less often. Exact current rates must be confirmed from your state’s labour department notification. Quotes below the applicable notification indicate non-compliance with statutory rules — see the risk section below.

What a full build-up looks like: a worked example

To make the three components concrete, here is a build-up on a Delhi unskilled basic wage using the statutory rates above. This is illustrative — the calculator applies the same logic on your exact wage and state, and the pricing model shows the default build-up.

Component	Basis	Monthly figure
Basic wage (Delhi unskilled)	—	₹18,456
Employer PF (12%, on ₹15,000 ceiling)	₹15,000 × 12%	₹1,800
Employer ESI (3.25%, within ₹21,000)	₹18,456 × 3.25%	₹600
Statutory bonus (8.33%, on ₹7,000 ceiling)	₹7,000 × 8.33%	₹583
Gratuity accrual (4.81%)	₹18,456 × 4.81%	₹888
Professional tax (illustrative)	fixed	₹200
Labour-welfare fund (illustrative)	fixed	₹20
Labour cost	—	≈ ₹22,547
Agency service charge (6–10% of labour cost)	—	≈ ₹1,350–2,255
All-in monthly	—	≈ ₹23,900–24,800

Two things to take from this: the statutory components add about a quarter to a third to the base wage before the service charge, and the all-in figure is far above the headline wage. Quotes that land below the compliant minimum are either leaving out a statutory component or skipping compliance entirely.

Regional and event pricing

• Tier-one metros (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore) carry the highest wages; tier-2 and tier-3 cities sit lower.
• Event security uses a different model than permanent guarding — it is priced per event and depends on duration, location and risk. Representative event ranges: Delhi ₹18,000–₹33,000, Bangalore ₹17,000–₹30,000, Mumbai ₹20,000–₹40,000.
• Hourly billing is used for short or variable coverage. Multiply the hourly rate by your shift duration for a monthly figure, but budget the statutory components on top.

Verifying a quote (and the risks of non-compliance)

The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest outcome. A single regulatory inspection can result in penalties per violation, and principal employers share joint liability for unpaid compliance costs. “Bargain” rates often mean a missing statutory component, which leads to worker grievances and reputational damage.

Before you sign, use four checks:

1. Verify licensing — confirm the provider holds a valid PSARA licence for each state where it deploys.
2. Audit transparency — request an itemised quote with PF, ESI and bonus shown as separate lines.
3. Confirm the wage — check that the base wage meets the current state notification, not just the previous one.
4. Ask for proof of submissions — a provider that pays PF and ESI can show you the returns.

For the full diligence picture, see the due-diligence guide and the compliance and licences page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum cost for a compliant guard?

The minimum varies by state because wages do. On a Delhi basic wage, a legally compliant unskilled guard lands around ₹24,000–₹26,000 all-in once PF, ESI, bonus and the service charge are included — and Karnataka’s unskilled floor is now higher still after its 2026 revision. Quotes below the compliant minimum indicate a missing statutory component.

Does direct hiring save money?

Agencies charge a service fee of roughly 6–10%. In exchange they handle recruitment, training and the law. Direct hiring removes that fee but shifts the administrative and compliance burden — and the liability — onto you. For most multi-site operations the agency’s service charge is less than the cost of running compliance yourself.

What costs exist beyond the basic salary?

Employer PF (12%), ESI (3.25%) and a statutory bonus (8.33%), plus gratuity, health check-ups, professional tax where levied, and uniform. These add roughly a quarter to a third to the base wage.

How do I verify a security quote?

Request an itemized quote, confirm the base wage meets the current state notification, check the PSARA licence, and ask for proof of PF and ESI submissions.

Do costs change during the year?

Yes. Minimum wages are revised periodically — many states update in April and October, but timing varies: Karnataka, for example, left its rates unchanged for nine years before the 2026 hike. Long-term contracts usually include a clause that adjusts the rate when the notification changes, so the price you lock in does not quietly drift out of compliance.

How do skills affect the price?

Skilled and armed guards command a premium over unskilled guards (semi-skilled roughly 10–15%, armed roughly 20–30%). The statutory percentages — PF, ESI, bonus — stay the same across skill levels; only the base wage moves, and the statutory costs move with it.

Get your exact figure

Cost-led decisions should be made on the build-up for your own sites, not on a headline. The two tools below give you that:

• Labour-cost calculator — apply the statutory rates to your wage and state for an all-in labour cost.
• How pricing works — the pricing model explained, including how service charges and supervision are priced.

If you are close to a decision, send us the sites, shifts and roles you are budgeting for, and we will confirm the exact build-up and service charge for your contract.