Private security hits $50B

CNBC reported on September 4 that private security spending has continued to climb even as violent crime in the United States has fallen over the long term. The report said companies, communities and wealthy individuals are spending more on guards, executive protection, surveillance technology and other physical security services after a run of high-profile attacks. Robert H. Perry & Associates told CNBC that revenue in the private security market rose 17% over the past decade to just over $50 billion in 2025. Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by CNBC showed nearly 1.3 million Americans worked as security guards in May 2025, up about 16% from 2016. ### Why is the industry getting bigger if violent crime is falling? CNBC said the growth is being driven less by broad crime statistics than by fear of visible incidents and a wider definition of what buyers now call security. The report said spending has spread beyond traditional guarding into executive protection, corporate security, residential protection and surveillance systems. High-profile attacks have helped push companies and local communities toward private providers, CNBC reported, even as violent crime has declined over recent decades. (cnbc.com) That gap between statistical crime trends and customer behavior is central to the current market: buyers are responding to perceived risk, recent incidents and liability concerns, according to CNBC’s reporting. ### What does the $50 billion figure actually cover? (cnbc.com) Robert H. Perry & Associates, cited by CNBC, said private security market revenue topped $50 billion in 2025. CNBC described that market as including guarding, executive protection, corporate security, surveillance technology and other contracted physical security services. The number matters because it shows the business is no longer confined to mall guards or overnight patrols. (cnbc.com) CNBC’s report framed the market as a broad protection economy that now spans employers, neighborhoods, events and affluent households. ### Where does Allied Universal fit into the picture? CNBC said Allied Universal sits at the center of the boom. The company told CNBC it has about 800,000 workers globally and reported roughly $23 billion in revenue, making it one of the largest private employers in the sector. (cnbc.com) Orange County Business Journal reported in June that Irvine-based Allied Universal posted $22.6 billion in 2025 revenue and remained the world’s largest private security firm. That filing-sized revenue base helps explain why large customers often turn first to national platforms that can provide guards, remote monitoring and technology across multiple sites. (cnbc.com) ### What does this mean for hiring and training? Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by CNBC showed nearly 1.3 million Americans worked as security guards in May 2025. (link.cnbc.com) The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook says security guards and gambling surveillance officers are projected to have about 157,200 openings each year on average over the next decade, mostly because of worker turnover and exits from the labor force. (ocbj.com) BLS occupational requirements data also show that on-the-job training is required for more than 99.5% of security guards. That means industry growth is not only a recruiting story; it is also a supervision, screening and training story for firms trying to staff large contracts without losing service quality. ### Is this only about more guards, or also more technology? CNBC said the spending wave includes surveillance technology alongside guard services and executive protection. (cnbc.com) That mix matters because customers are increasingly buying bundled security programs rather than a single product, with contracted officers, cameras and monitoring working together. The next public markers will come through labor and company updates. (bls.gov) The Bureau of Labor Statistics will continue to publish employment data for security guards, and Allied Universal and its rivals are likely to remain central participants as large employers and contract providers in a market that Robert H. Perry & Associates said exceeded $50 billion in 2025. (cnbc.com 1) (cnbc.com 2)