Security Guards Salary by State and Metro Area
Security Guards in the United States earn a median salary of $38,020/year ($18.28/hr). Salaries range from $30,210 to $58,840 depending on experience. Below, compare salaries across all 50 states and DC and 30 metro areas where BLS publishes data.
$30K
10th percentile
$35K
25th percentile
$38K
Median
$46K
75th percentile
$59K
90th percentile
Where Security Guards have the most money left over after rent
Median pay minus estimated federal + state + FICA taxes, minus 12 months of rent at HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. Darker green means more money left over each year. Hover any state for the breakdown.
View map data as a table
| State | Median (nominal) | Rent/mo (2BR) | Left after rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $64K | $2,146 | $25K |
| New Mexico | $43K | $1,119 | $22K |
| Wyoming | $39K | $1,008 | $21K |
| Missouri | $40K | $1,097 | $20K |
| New Hampshire | $45K | $1,528 | $20K |
| North Dakota | $39K | $1,034 | $20K |
| South Dakota | $37K | $1,017 | $20K |
| Vermont | $46K | $1,498 | $20K |
| Alaska | $47K | $1,643 | $20K |
| Minnesota | $43K | $1,384 | $19K |
| Nebraska | $40K | $1,113 | $19K |
| Idaho | $38K | $1,136 | $18K |
| Kansas | $37K | $1,066 | $18K |
| Montana | $38K | $1,129 | $18K |
| Utah | $43K | $1,350 | $18K |
| Washington | $47K | $1,830 | $18K |
| Indiana | $36K | $1,144 | $17K |
| Iowa | $37K | $1,064 | $17K |
| Maine | $39K | $1,281 | $17K |
| Oklahoma | $36K | $1,081 | $17K |
| Wisconsin | $37K | $1,202 | $17K |
| Arkansas | $36K | $1,021 | $17K |
| Kentucky | $35K | $1,110 | $16K |
| Ohio | $36K | $1,188 | $16K |
| Oregon | $46K | $1,555 | $16K |
| Tennessee | $36K | $1,215 | $16K |
| Illinois | $39K | $1,407 | $15K |
| Michigan | $37K | $1,272 | $15K |
| South Carolina | $35K | $1,263 | $15K |
| Virginia | $44K | $1,646 | $15K |
| Arizona | $38K | $1,437 | $15K |
| Alabama | $34K | $1,085 | $15K |
| Nevada | $37K | $1,501 | $14K |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | $1,351 | $14K |
| Texas | $36K | $1,415 | $14K |
| Colorado | $45K | $1,832 | $14K |
| Louisiana | $32K | $1,191 | $13K |
| New York | $44K | $1,917 | $13K |
| North Carolina | $35K | $1,284 | $13K |
| Delaware | $36K | $1,448 | $12K |
| Rhode Island | $37K | $1,544 | $12K |
| West Virginia | $29K | $1,008 | $12K |
| Connecticut | $40K | $1,679 | $12K |
| Florida | $36K | $1,658 | $11K |
| Georgia | $35K | $1,434 | $11K |
| Mississippi | $29K | $1,077 | $11K |
| Maryland | $38K | $1,795 | $10K |
| Massachusetts | $45K | $2,347 | $8K |
| New Jersey | $39K | $2,067 | $8K |
| Hawaii | $43K | $2,240 | $7K |
| California | $43K | $2,471 | $6K |
Security Guards salary by state
| State | Median | Hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $64K | $30.87/hr | 15,880 |
| Alaska | $47K | $22.83/hr | 2,100 |
| Washington | $47K | $22.64/hr | 25,800 |
| Vermont | $46K | $21.9/hr | 930 |
| Oregon | $46K | $21.88/hr | 12,200 |
| New Hampshire | $45K | $21.73/hr | 2,450 |
| Colorado | $45K | $21.71/hr | 16,890 |
| Massachusetts | $45K | $21.48/hr | 23,930 |
| New York | $44K | $21.27/hr | 134,700 |
| Virginia | $44K | $20.98/hr | 34,870 |
| Minnesota | $43K | $20.86/hr | 14,440 |
| New Mexico | $43K | $20.83/hr | 8,410 |
| California | $43K | $20.79/hr | 199,480 |
| Hawaii | $43K | $20.59/hr | 10,160 |
| Utah | $43K | $20.53/hr | 7,310 |
| Missouri | $40K | $19.42/hr | 18,630 |
| Connecticut | $40K | $19.19/hr | 12,100 |
| Nebraska | $40K | $19.15/hr | 4,700 |
| Illinois | $39K | $18.98/hr | 53,830 |
| North Dakota | $39K | $18.9/hr | 1,310 |
| Wyoming | $39K | $18.85/hr | 1,130 |
| Maine | $39K | $18.8/hr | 1,930 |
| New Jersey | $39K | $18.69/hr | 41,540 |
| Montana | $38K | $18.5/hr | 1,610 |
| Idaho | $38K | $18.41/hr | 3,750 |
| Arizona | $38K | $18.41/hr | 29,820 |
| Maryland | $38K | $18.37/hr | 27,670 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | $18/hr | 12,030 |
| Nevada | $37K | $17.94/hr | 26,680 |
| South Dakota | $37K | $17.86/hr | 1,460 |
| Michigan | $37K | $17.83/hr | 25,240 |
| Kansas | $37K | $17.83/hr | 7,150 |
| Iowa | $37K | $17.83/hr | 6,890 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | $17.81/hr | 43,610 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | $17.76/hr | 3,160 |
| Indiana | $36K | $17.54/hr | 19,930 |
| Delaware | $36K | $17.48/hr | 3,430 |
| Oklahoma | $36K | $17.44/hr | 12,210 |
| Tennessee | $36K | $17.31/hr | 27,690 |
| Texas | $36K | $17.3/hr | 106,210 |
| Florida | $36K | $17.26/hr | 95,370 |
| Arkansas | $36K | $17.2/hr | 6,390 |
| Ohio | $36K | $17.2/hr | 34,450 |
| South Carolina | $35K | $17.05/hr | 16,610 |
| Kentucky | $35K | $17.03/hr | 13,580 |
| North Carolina | $35K | $16.83/hr | 29,830 |
| Georgia | $35K | $16.82/hr | 36,210 |
| Alabama | $34K | $16.21/hr | 15,210 |
| Louisiana | $32K | $15.5/hr | 17,210 |
| Mississippi | $29K | $14.03/hr | 10,160 |
| West Virginia | $29K | $13.85/hr | 5,200 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Top paying metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho Falls, ID | $79K | 570 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $60K | 130 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $55K | 500 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $51K | 410 |
| Ithaca, NY | $50K | 240 |
| Lynchburg, VA | $49K | 570 |
| Hinesville, GA | $49K | 120 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $49K | 60 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $49K | 780 |
| Rochester, MN | $48K | 520 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $47K | 17,030 |
| Napa, CA | $47K | 760 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $47K | 40,950 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $47K | 9,110 |
| Anchorage, AK | $47K | 1,090 |
| Boulder, CO | $46K | 480 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $46K | 11,800 |
| Salem, OR | $46K | 1,030 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $46K | 220 |
| Corvallis, OR | $46K | 160 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $46K | 26,830 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $46K | 590 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $45K | 10,910 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $45K | 140 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $45K | 260 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $45K | 300 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $45K | 1,560 |
| New Haven, CT | $45K | 1,560 |
| Syracuse, NY | $45K | 1,770 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $45K | 19,250 |