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This question is about security guard salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Security Guard?
A good starting salary for a security guard is $23,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a security guard in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for security guards is $30,409, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a security guard can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Security Guard Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level security guard earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Hawaii | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Alaska | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Washington | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Minnesota | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Massachusetts | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| California | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Oregon | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| North Dakota | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Maine | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| District of Columbia | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| New York | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Wyoming | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Vermont | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Utah | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| New Hampshire | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Virginia | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Colorado | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Nevada | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Missouri | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Illinois | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Connecticut | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| South Dakota | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Arizona | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Rhode Island | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| New Jersey | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Wisconsin | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Nebraska | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Kansas | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Idaho | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Indiana | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Oklahoma | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| New Mexico | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Iowa | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Pennsylvania | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Delaware | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Ohio | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Kentucky | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Michigan | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| North Carolina | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Montana | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Maryland | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Tennessee | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Texas | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Alabama | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Georgia | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Florida | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Arkansas | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| South Carolina | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Louisiana | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Mississippi | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| West Virginia | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Security Guard Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level security guard job is above the national average. Topping the list is San Francisco, CA.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| San Francisco, CA | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Boston, MA | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| New York, NY | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Richmond, VA | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Aurora, CO | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Gladstone, MO | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Glendale, AZ | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
