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Job outlook for armed guards in the United States
Armed guard job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected armed guard job growth rate is 3% from 2018-2028.
About 38,000 new jobs for armed guards are projected over the next decade.
Armed guard salaries have increased 20% for armed guards in the last 5 years.
There are over 239,822 armed guards currently employed in the United States.
There are 74,257 active armed guard job openings in the US.
The average armed guard salary is $43,189.
Are armed guard jobs in demand?
Yes, armed guard jobs are in demand. Armed guard demand is projected to grow 3% from 2018 to 2028.
Armed guard job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of armed guard jobs and the average armed guard salary over time.
Armed guard jobs over time
Armed guard job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 239,822 | 0.07% |
| 2020 | 239,209 | 0.07% |
| 2019 | 255,537 | 0.08% |
| 2018 | 252,817 | 0.08% |
| 2017 | 250,789 | 0.08% |
Average armed guard salary over time
Armed guard salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $43,189 | $20.76 | +4.6% |
| 2025 | $41,283 | $19.85 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | $39,628 | $19.05 | +5.9% |
| 2023 | $37,417 | $17.99 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | $35,845 | $17.23 | +4.6% |
Armed guard jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of armed guard job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where armed guards earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for armed guards
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 838 | 12% |
| 2 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 521 | 9% |
| 3 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 274 | 9% |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,037 | 8% |
| 5 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 994 | 8% |
| 6 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 242 | 8% |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 82 | 8% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 80 | 8% |
| 9 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 55 | 8% |
| 10 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,731 | 7% |
| 11 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 1,415 | 7% |
| 12 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 669 | 7% |
| 13 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 665 | 7% |
| 14 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 94 | 7% |
| 15 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 675 | 6% |
| 16 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 433 | 6% |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 371 | 6% |
| 18 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 364 | 6% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 207 | 6% |
| 20 | Alaska | 739,795 | 41 | 6% |
Most common cities for armed guards
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paducah | 2 | 8% | $36,130 |
| 2 | Plainview | 2 | 8% | $55,151 |
| 3 | West Springfield Town | 2 | 7% | $45,917 |
| 4 | Lewiston | 2 | 6% | $39,572 |
| 5 | Rohnert Park | 2 | 5% | $50,246 |
| 6 | Cerritos | 2 | 4% | $47,499 |
| 7 | Lowell | 3 | 3% | $45,147 |
| 8 | New Britain | 2 | 3% | $48,989 |
| 9 | Fort Lauderdale | 2 | 1% | $33,873 |
| 10 | Syracuse | 2 | 1% | $53,647 |
| 11 | Akron | 1 | 1% | $40,058 |
| 12 | Albany | 1 | 1% | $53,527 |
| 13 | Atlanta | 2 | 0% | $34,623 |
| 14 | Detroit | 2 | 0% | $41,150 |
| 15 | Phoenix | 2 | 0% | $42,630 |
| 16 | Tucson | 2 | 0% | $42,560 |