How much do Security Guards make in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

Percentile spread

For Security Guards, the published 10th percentile is $23,590 and the 90th percentile is $48,990. The difference is $25,400, which is 78.8% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $30,300 to the 75th at $38,310, covers $8,010.

The mean annual wage is $36,440, which sits above the median of $32,240. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The New Orleans-Metairie, LA median is 15.2% lower than the national median of $38,020 for Security Guards. In 2024 national prices the local median is $34,818, which is 8.4% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is about the same as the Louisiana median of $32,240.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for New Orleans-Metairie, LA is 92.597, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $32,240 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Security Guards at $34,818 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

10 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Security Guards. New Orleans-Metairie, LA ranks 5th of 11 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA is 76 miles away, with a median of $29,040 and employment of 410. That median is 9.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $34,123, against $34,818 here.
• Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA is 81 miles away, with a median of $34,260 and employment of 400. That median is 6.3% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $36,948, against $34,818 here.
• Gulfport-Biloxi, MS is 90 miles away, with a median of $30,980 and employment of 1,810. That median is 3.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $34,420, against $34,818 here.

Employment share

Security Guards accounts for 1.5% of wage-and-salary employment in New Orleans-Metairie, LA (6,650 of 445,550). Nationally the occupation is 0.83% of employment (1,283,470 of 155,495,730). The local share is 1.81 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.