High turnover is a significant challenge for businesses in the security industry. Every time a trained guard leaves, your company loses time and money. That’s why focusing on security guard retention is more effective than repeatedly restarting the hiring cycle. It’s about building a reliable, motivated, and skilled team that stays.
In 2025, guards are looking for meaningful work, clear advancement paths, support in high-stress environments, and the training they need to succeed. When you address these needs, you’re strengthening performance, which in turn improves your clients’ satisfaction.
This guide outlines the key reasons security guards leave and offers practical strategies to improve retention and build a more stable workforce.
The Top Reasons for Low Security Guard Retention
If your security company is dealing with high turnover and struggling to keep guards on staff, these common issues might be to blame:
- Limited career advancement: Many security guards leave their roles because they don’t see a clear path forward. Without structured promotion opportunities, mentorship, or specialization tracks, motivation to stay long-term drops. Guards often feel stuck in entry-level roles, leading them to explore other careers or opportunities with more growth potential.
- Mismanaged schedules: Inconsistent hours, last-minute shift changes, and a lack of consideration for their personal time can strain employees. When dealing with unpredictable scheduling, it becomes difficult to maintain work-life balance, and guards may choose to leave the job in search of more stable and respectful working conditions.
- Stressful working conditions: Security work often involves long hours, night shifts, and exposure to conflict or danger, all of which can contribute to mental and physical strain. If guards don’t feel supported or properly equipped to handle these challenges, the stress becomes unsustainable, prompting them to quit.
- Unsatisfactory salaries: Low wages are one of the most common reasons guards seek other employment. When pay doesn’t reflect the risks and responsibilities of the job, security guards will seek employment elsewhere, where they’ll feel more appreciated and valued.
- Lack of training: When guards aren’t adequately trained, they’ll feel unprepared to handle the challenges of the job. This can lead to errors, safety risks, and a general sense of insecurity. If a guard doesn’t feel confident in their ability to respond to situations, they’re less likely to stay long-term.
How to Improve Security Guard Retention in Your Company
Don’t let poor retention disrupt your business. Implement these strategies to build a stronger, more committed team of security professionals.
1. Refine the Onboarding Process
An impersonal or rushed onboarding process can stop new hires from wanting to stick around. Guards are looking for environments where they feel valued and part of a cohesive team. Onboarding is the company’s opportunity to set that tone and make a strong first impression.
Begin by creating a welcoming, clear, and engaging onboarding process.
For example, select someone with positive energy and excellent communication skills to lead the onboarding process. Incorporate activities such as ice-breakers and team introductions early on to help new hires get to know one another. This way, you can encourage positive, respectful relationships from the first day.
Someone within your company should also provide new employees with a general overview of the organization and the clients it serves. Doing so sets grounded expectations for their experience, reducing the risk of disappointment or unexpected challenges in the future that could lead to them leaving your company.
2. Provide Ongoing Training
Security guards, like professionals in any field, benefit from continuous learning and skill development.
While mandatory training hours are required by state regulations, these initial sessions often cover only the basics and may not fully prepare guards for the variety of situations they face on the job.
Over time, guards can forget what they’ve learned, and without regular updates, they might not stay current with new security trends or legal requirements, leading to mistakes and misjudgments.
Implementing ongoing, high-quality training programs will keep guards informed and confident. For example, the courses we provide include liability and legal aspects, appropriate use of force, driver safety, radio procedures, and powers to arrest. All of which can contribute to your guards performing at their best on duty.
Providing easy access to these training opportunities lets your guards fit training into their schedules without disrupting their work, making them more likely to engage with the course materials.
Consider tracking progress and recognizing achievements with certifications or incentives. This motivates guards to make the most of these opportunities while helping management identify strengths and areas needing improvement within the team.
3. Offer Competitive Compensation
Underpaying guards leads to high turnover and reduced performance, while overpaying without adjusting client rates can hurt your margins. Striking the right balance will help you stay competitive and grow your business while keeping retention rates high.
National Wage Benchmarks (All States)
The following data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the wage distribution for security guards across the country:
- 10th Percentile: $13.70/hr – $28,500/year
- 25th Percentile: $15.22/hr – $31,660/year
- Median (50th): $17.82/hr – $37,070/year
- 75th Percentile: $21.46/hr – $44,630/year
- 90th Percentile: $27.60/hr – $57,400/year
Security guard salaries vary widely by location. The highest-paying states reflect areas with higher living costs and greater demand for specialized services:
- District of Columbia: $26.36/hr – $54,830/year
- Alaska: $25.10/hr – $52,220/year
- Maryland: $22.81/hr – $47,450/year.
However, several other factors affect compensation and should be considered by businesses when hiring guards:
- Industry type: Hiring for sectors like government, healthcare, or corporate environments often requires offering higher wages due to the increased responsibilities and expectations. Firms operating in lower-paying sectors like retail may need to adjust hiring standards or offer other incentives to stay competitive.
- Certifications: Guards with firearms licenses or specialized training in areas like surveillance or emergency response typically expect higher pay, but they also bring added value and experience to the job.
- Local labor market conditions: In regions with talent shortages or high competition for skilled guards, businesses must raise pay to attract and retain qualified personnel.
Security firms can also offer other forms of compensation, including health benefits, paid time off (PTO), retirement plans, overtime opportunities, bonuses, and shift differentials for nights or holidays.
4. Supply Mental Health Support
Security guards face various mental health challenges that can impact their performance and willingness to stay long-term.
Regularly dealing with high-stress situations, such as medical emergencies, violent confrontations, or extended shifts, can lead to anxiety, burnout, and PTSD.
Many guards also work alone during night shifts, which can increase feelings of isolation and loneliness. Similarly, irregular schedules that disrupt sleep patterns can lead to fatigue and poor mental health.
If left unaddressed, these issues can increase absenteeism and turnover.
To tackle this, employers should take steps to support guards’ mental health:
- Offer access to professional counseling and support groups: Provide confidential counseling through Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or partner with mental health providers.
- Promote mental health tools: Encourage the use of apps like Calm or Headspace, which offer guided meditations, breathing exercises, and mood tracking. These tools help guards manage daily stress and build resilience, especially when on irregular shifts or working alone.
- Implement supportive workplace policies: Ensure guards receive regular rest breaks during long shifts and offer flexible scheduling when possible to reduce fatigue. Promote a work culture that values open discussions about mental health and makes it clear that all employees are encouraged to seek support.
- Provide specialized mental health training: Train guards and supervisors to recognize signs of mental distress, stress management techniques, and how to access mental health resources.
- Create peer support networks: Establish peer support programs for security guards. These programs can take the form of regular group meetings, either in-person or virtual, where guards share experiences, discuss challenges, and exchange coping strategies. Trained peer facilitators or mental health professionals can guide these sessions to keep them supportive and constructive.
5. Recognize and Reward Performance
Guards who feel appreciated and are recognized for their efforts are more likely to stay committed and take pride in their role.
Set clear, measurable goals that might include punctuality, accuracy in incident reporting, professionalism, or customer service quality. Implement regular evaluations or supervisor check-ins to monitor employee performance and then distribute awards and recognition.
Your security guards will benefit most from tangible rewards that reinforce positive behavior.
For example, gift cards or small cash incentives tied to specific achievements, like zero missed shifts over a month or positive client feedback, will encourage ongoing effort.
Paid time off or extra shifts can reward guards who demonstrate their reliability.
Personalized gestures, such as handwritten thank-you notes or small tokens of appreciation, such as edible gifts or company-branded gear, can make guards feel genuinely valued and keep them motivated.
For long-term motivation, provide clear promotion paths or increased responsibilities to top performers, demonstrating your investment in their career growth.
These consistent, meaningful recognitions build loyalty and improve job satisfaction, which contributes to reduced guard turnover.
Strengthen and Retain Your Security Team with the Right Training
There are plenty of strategies for increasing security guard retention within your company. Improving onboarding, offering competitive salaries, and recognizing employee efforts can go a long way in building loyalty and keeping guards engaged.
However, one of the most effective long-term investments is providing ongoing training.
When guards feel confident in their skills and equipped to handle the demands of the job, they’re more likely to stay. Training improves performance, reduces errors, and encourages guards to take on greater responsibilities. It also shows that the company is invested in its growth, which builds trust and long-term commitment.
At Guard Training, we have expert-developed courses designed to help your team flourish. Whether you’re onboarding new hires or upskilling current staff, we make it easy to deliver training that sticks and strengthens your team.
Check out our full list of courses now.
