Security Guards pay in the U.S.
$42,470avg. a year
$20.42 an hour · 1,283,470 employed
Security Guards in the U.S. earn an average of $42,470 a year and a median of $38,020. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($60,720) and lowest in West Virginia ($31,320).
$38,020Median pay
$20.42Average hourly
+24%Avg. pay since 2020
1,283,470Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for security guards
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
115,880 jobs
District of Columbia
$60,720
$29.19 an hour
22,100 jobs
Alaska
$54,140
$26.03 an hour
3930 jobs
Vermont
$50,770
$24.41 an hour
425,800 jobs
Washington
$50,770
$24.41 an hour
52,450 jobs
New Hampshire
$47,850
$23.01 an hour
634,870 jobs
Virginia
$47,070
$22.63 an hour
7134,700 jobs
New York
$46,450
$22.33 an hour
812,200 jobs
Oregon
$46,420
$22.32 an hour
98,410 jobs
New Mexico
$46,300
$22.26 an hour
1016,890 jobs
Colorado
$45,870
$22.05 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Security Guards pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $40k$40k–$42k$42k–$45k$45k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho Falls, ID | $68,260 | $32.82 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $60,120 | $28.90 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $59,640 | $28.67 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $55,360 | $26.61 |
| Anchorage, AK | $54,540 | $26.22 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $54,430 | $26.17 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $52,860 | $25.42 |
| Lynchburg, VA | $52,570 | $25.27 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Security Guards pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $34,680 | $33,720 | 15,210 |
| Alaska | $54,140 | $47,480 | 2,100 |
| Arizona | $40,950 | $38,290 | 29,820 |
| Arkansas | $38,300 | $35,770 | 6,390 |
| California | $44,920 | $43,240 | 199,480 |
| Colorado | $45,870 | $45,150 | 16,890 |
| Connecticut | $45,180 | $39,920 | 12,100 |
| Delaware | $43,750 | $36,360 | 3,430 |
| District of Columbia | $60,720 | $64,210 | 15,880 |
| Florida | $37,610 | $35,900 | 95,370 |
| Georgia | $37,890 | $34,980 | 36,210 |
| Hawaii | $43,470 | $42,820 | 10,160 |
| Idaho | $44,100 | $38,300 | 3,750 |
| Illinois | $44,240 | $39,490 | 53,830 |
| Indiana | $40,660 | $36,490 | 19,930 |
| Iowa | $42,220 | $37,080 | 6,890 |
| Kansas | $40,350 | $37,080 | 7,150 |
| Kentucky | $38,540 | $35,420 | 13,580 |
| Louisiana | $36,080 | $32,240 | 17,210 |
| Maine | $41,390 | $39,100 | 1,930 |
| Maryland | $44,530 | $38,220 | 27,670 |
| Massachusetts | $44,760 | $44,670 | 23,930 |
| Michigan | $40,640 | $37,080 | 25,240 |
| Minnesota | $45,460 | $43,380 | 14,440 |
| Mississippi | $31,750 | $29,180 | 10,160 |
| Missouri | $45,100 | $40,390 | 18,630 |
| Montana | $42,270 | $38,480 | 1,610 |
| Nebraska | $45,000 | $39,840 | 4,700 |
| Nevada | $39,770 | $37,310 | 26,680 |
| New Hampshire | $47,850 | $45,200 | 2,450 |
| New Jersey | $43,520 | $38,880 | 41,540 |
| New Mexico | $46,300 | $43,320 | 8,410 |
| New York | $46,450 | $44,240 | 134,700 |
| North Carolina | $39,090 | $35,010 | 29,830 |
| North Dakota | $43,150 | $39,310 | 1,310 |
| Ohio | $39,950 | $35,770 | 34,450 |
| Oklahoma | $39,560 | $36,270 | 12,210 |
| Oregon | $46,420 | $45,500 | 12,200 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,180 | $37,050 | 43,610 |
| Rhode Island | $40,320 | $36,940 | 3,160 |
| South Carolina | $37,060 | $35,460 | 16,610 |
| South Dakota | $40,250 | $37,150 | 1,460 |
| Tennessee | $38,500 | $36,000 | 27,690 |
| Texas | $38,550 | $35,980 | 106,210 |
| Utah | $43,050 | $42,700 | 7,310 |
| Vermont | $50,770 | $45,550 | 930 |
| Virginia | $47,070 | $43,640 | 34,870 |
| Washington | $50,770 | $47,100 | 25,800 |
| West Virginia | $31,320 | $28,800 | 5,200 |
| Wisconsin | $41,390 | $37,440 | 12,030 |
| Wyoming | $42,660 | $39,200 | 1,130 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$46,140
142,760 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$43,880
83,280 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$44,360
48,360 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$37,900
41,530 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$54,430
40,950 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$40,160
34,000 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$38,270
29,250 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$50,270
26,830 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do security guards make?
The average is $42,470 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $38,020 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $20.42, and the median is $18.28 an hour.
Which state pays security guards the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $60,720 a year. The best-paying metro area is Idaho Falls, ID at $68,260.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $30,210 a year, and the top 10% earn over $58,840.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 33-9032. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.