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NYC guard pay floor hits January 1: $18.87 unarmed, $33.70 armed
New York City's Local Law 61 sets minimum pay for private security guards from January 1, 2027, with three pay tiers and overtime after an 8-hour day.
Private security guards in New York City get a legal pay floor on January 1, 2027. Under the city's minimum wage schedule for Local Law 61 of 2026, covered unarmed guards must earn at least $18.87 an hour and armed guards at least $33.70.
The city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection posted the schedule on September 1. For guard companies in the city, that leaves about ten weeks to reprice contracts and check every officer's pay.
The new rates#
These are the rates in the DCWP schedule, per hour:
| Guard | Jan 1 to Apr 30, 2027 | May 1 to Jun 30, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Unarmed, 0 to 36 months of employment, or a new hire | $18.87 | $19.68 |
| Unarmed, with the certifications and training below | $22.20 | $23.15 |
| Armed | $33.70 | $34.65 |
The higher unarmed rate is for guards who have completed all of these, the schedule says: 12 months of employment, FDNY F-01, F-03 and F-04 certifications, FDNY Building Evacuation Supervisor training, and 2 hours of customer service or professionalism training.
Months of employment count the guard's service with the employer or at the facility, whichever is greater. A new hire is someone who has not worked any hours with the employer or at the facility in the previous six months, according to the city. The schedule also lists overtime at time and one half the regular rate after an 8-hour day or 40 straight-time hours in a work week.
More is coming#
The law is phased in. Paid time off starts on January 1, 2028, and supplemental benefits on January 1, 2029, the city's employer page says. Employers must give covered guards a copy of the city's Notice of Employee Rights, and the city will publish the rates for July 1 to December 31, 2027 by July 1, 2027.
The law began as the Aland Etienne Safety and Security Act, named for a security guard who was fatally shot while guarding the lobby of 345 Park Avenue. The City Council passed it over former Mayor Eric Adams' veto on January 29, 2026, the Council said. It ties private guards' pay and benefits to what guards earn on certain city building service contracts.
That match is what worries building owners. Amanda DeAlmeida, an executive vice president at Building Security Services, told Facilities Dive that for guards paid near the prevailing wage, matching city pay will "increase the cost of providing 24/7 staffing at a building by $60,000 to $70,000 a year."
What it means for your company#
- Reprice before January. Clients set budgets now. Show them the new floor and what it does to each post's bill rate, before the first invoice surprises them.
- Know every officer's tier. The rate depends on months of service, certifications and training, so you need those records for each guard, not just a pay rate.
- Watch the daily overtime rule. The schedule counts overtime after an 8-hour day, not only after 40 hours a week. Long shifts cost more than they used to.
- Check who is covered. The city's pages do not spell out every guard and employer the law covers. Read the employer page and confirm with an employment attorney before you set pay.
If your records live in software, Guardix stores licenses and certificates with their expiry dates and reminds managers before they expire (documents and certifications), and a payroll run can be downloaded as an Excel or PDF file (payroll).