SOC 33-9032 · Protective Service Occupations

Security Guards wages by metro

National median annual wage

$38,020

10th percentile: $30,210
25th percentile: $35,210
Median: $38,020
75th percentile: $46,200
90th percentile: $58,840
Mean: $42,470

Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.

National employment in May 2025: 1,283,470.

That median is 25.4% lower than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.

The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.

A welder at work with a torch — A welder at a bench, 2014. Photograph by Chetan Menaria. Wikimedia Commons · CC0

Highest published medians

Metros with the highest published annual medians for Security Guards.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
Idaho Falls, ID	570	$32,600	$78,680	$78,680
Fairbanks-College, AK	130	$37,930	$60,400	$76,860
Kennewick-Richland, WA	500	$36,500	$54,670	$86,900
Burlington-South Burlington, VT	410	$39,720	$51,170	$72,630
Ithaca, NY	240	$37,600	$49,540	$63,040
Lynchburg, VA	570	$30,330	$49,480	$75,860
Hinesville, GA	120	$30,960	$48,780	$72,920
Walla Walla, WA	60	$36,400	$48,770	$52,620
Kahului-Wailuku, HI	780	$36,950	$48,690	$68,840
Rochester, MN	520	$30,840	$47,790	$61,960
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	17,030	$38,990	$47,490	$68,040
Napa, CA	760	$38,510	$47,240	$75,590
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	40,950	$36,530	$46,830	$78,790
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	9,110	$38,360	$46,820	$60,020
Anchorage, AK	1,090	$36,640	$46,720	$78,180
Boulder, CO	480	$36,440	$46,450	$62,630
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	11,800	$43,900	$46,250	$66,970
Salem, OR	1,030	$36,210	$46,150	$60,770
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	220	$36,120	$46,090	$64,070
Corvallis, OR	160	$39,040	$45,980	$58,530

Where employment is largest

Metros with the most Security Guards jobs in the May 2025 tables.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	142,760	$35,360	$43,980	$60,720
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	83,280	$36,300	$40,030	$56,750
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	48,360	$35,940	$39,990	$64,180
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	41,530	$30,070	$36,040	$45,710
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	40,950	$36,530	$46,830	$78,790
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	34,000	$28,270	$36,680	$52,000
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	29,250	$27,670	$35,460	$48,140
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	26,830	$40,340	$45,730	$62,470
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	25,460	$31,330	$37,450	$57,970
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	23,800	$29,100	$37,210	$47,930
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	23,160	$33,190	$38,290	$55,290
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	22,730	$30,000	$35,150	$48,010
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR	22,420	$21,840	$21,840	$22,770
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	22,010	$35,430	$37,280	$56,120
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	19,250	$35,780	$44,990	$56,450
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	17,030	$38,990	$47,490	$68,040
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	16,090	$36,090	$38,500	$53,310
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	16,020	$32,810	$36,970	$62,200
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	14,870	$28,960	$35,500	$44,220
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	12,570	$29,170	$37,050	$54,940

States and territories

State estimates for Security Guards, May 2025.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
District of Columbia	15,880	$36,600	$64,210	$78,910
Alaska	2,100	$36,520	$47,480	$76,350
Washington	25,800	$37,720	$47,100	$68,390
Vermont	930	$36,040	$45,550	$72,620
Oregon	12,200	$36,500	$45,500	$58,510
New Hampshire	2,450	$36,500	$45,200	$62,400
Colorado	16,890	$36,160	$45,150	$57,360
Massachusetts	23,930	$34,830	$44,670	$55,800
New York	134,700	$35,650	$44,240	$60,580
Virginia	34,870	$30,990	$43,640	$73,060
Minnesota	14,440	$33,760	$43,380	$65,090
New Mexico	8,410	$30,220	$43,320	$64,840
California	199,480	$36,010	$43,240	$57,880
Hawaii	10,160	$35,140	$42,820	$58,840
Utah	7,310	$31,270	$42,700	$56,620
Missouri	18,630	$31,040	$40,390	$68,860
Connecticut	12,100	$34,950	$39,920	$59,220
Nebraska	4,700	$34,020	$39,840	$70,310
Illinois	53,830	$35,520	$39,490	$63,950
North Dakota	1,310	$31,150	$39,310	$64,390
Wyoming	1,130	$30,350	$39,200	$67,680
Maine	1,930	$31,470	$39,100	$51,530
New Jersey	41,540	$32,230	$38,880	$60,420
Montana	1,610	$28,800	$38,480	$57,310
Idaho	3,750	$32,030	$38,300	$78,680
Arizona	29,820	$31,910	$38,290	$52,450
Maryland	27,670	$33,700	$38,220	$64,320
Wisconsin	12,030	$30,410	$37,440	$54,680
Nevada	26,680	$29,140	$37,310	$48,340
South Dakota	1,460	$30,060	$37,150	$59,840
Iowa	6,890	$30,350	$37,080	$59,290
Kansas	7,150	$29,590	$37,080	$51,890
Michigan	25,240	$29,790	$37,080	$54,770
Pennsylvania	43,610	$30,050	$37,050	$54,830
Rhode Island	3,160	$31,200	$36,940	$48,520
Indiana	19,930	$29,850	$36,490	$59,990
Delaware	3,430	$32,450	$36,360	$73,390
Oklahoma	12,210	$26,940	$36,270	$56,080
Tennessee	27,690	$29,310	$36,000	$51,680
Texas	106,210	$26,950	$35,980	$50,740
Florida	95,370	$29,470	$35,900	$46,090
Arkansas	6,390	$28,870	$35,770	$57,410
Ohio	34,450	$29,030	$35,770	$55,440
South Carolina	16,610	$27,420	$35,460	$48,850
Kentucky	13,580	$28,450	$35,420	$50,800
North Carolina	29,830	$29,260	$35,010	$56,020
Georgia	36,210	$29,060	$34,980	$48,590
Alabama	15,210	$23,110	$33,720	$45,640
Louisiana	17,210	$23,660	$32,240	$49,040
Virgin Islands	1,030	$22,750	$31,990	$44,720
Mississippi	10,160	$21,690	$29,180	$42,580
West Virginia	5,200	$20,800	$28,800	$47,370
Guam	800	$19,560	$22,090	$38,280
Puerto Rico	26,100	$21,840	$21,840	$22,890

Other protective service occupations

Questions this page answers

What is the national median wage for Security Guards?

In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Security Guards is $38,020. Employment is 1,283,470.

How does Security Guards pay compare with all occupations?

The national median for Security Guards is 25.4% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.

Which metro has the highest published median for Security Guards?

Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Idaho Falls, ID is highest on this page's list at $78,680.