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Security agent salary
Average security agent salary
$35,179
Average Security Agent Salary
The average salary for a Security Agent in the United States is approximately $35,179 per year. This translates to about $17 per hour. Salary can significantly vary based on factors such as location, years of experience, and specific job responsibilities. For example, security agents working in urban areas often earn more than those in rural locations due to the higher cost of living.
Factors Influencing Salary
Experience level plays a crucial role in determining salary. Entry-level positions may start at around $28,000, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $45,000. Additionally, certifications and specialized training can enhance earning potential. States like California and New York are among the highest-paying locations for security agents, reflecting the demand for security services in these areas.
Job Opportunities
Security agents can find employment in various sectors, including corporate security, event security, and personal protection services. As the demand for security continues to grow, pursuing a career in this field can lead to stable job opportunities and potential for advancement.
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Where can a Security Agent earn more?
Security agent salaries by experience level
Security agent salary estimates from across the web
Average security agent salary by state
The highest-paying states for security agents are Washington, Alaska, and California. The lowest average security agent salary states are North Carolina, West Virginia, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for security agents
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $47,310 | $22.75 |
| 2 | Nevada | $41,142 | $19.78 |
| 3 | Washington | $50,106 | $24.09 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $39,682 | $19.08 |
| 5 | Arizona | $36,450 | $17.52 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $42,561 | $20.46 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $35,574 | $17.10 |
| 8 | Alaska | $49,862 | $23.97 |
| 9 | Oregon | $39,280 | $18.88 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $35,096 | $16.87 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $43,113 | $20.73 |
| 12 | Vermont | $36,001 | $17.31 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $42,703 | $20.53 |
| 14 | New York | $39,822 | $19.15 |
| 15 | Utah | $36,700 | $17.64 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $37,372 | $17.97 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $32,723 | $15.73 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $36,267 | $17.44 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $40,208 | $19.33 |
| 20 | Colorado | $35,060 | $16.86 |
| 21 | Michigan | $32,406 | $15.58 |
| 22 | Illinois | $32,028 | $15.40 |
| 23 | Missouri | $31,078 | $14.94 |
| 24 | Ohio | $30,954 | $14.88 |
| 25 | Virginia | $36,766 | $17.68 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $33,167 | $15.95 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $31,715 | $15.25 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $34,967 | $16.81 |
| 29 | Kansas | $32,283 | $15.52 |
| 30 | Idaho | $32,198 | $15.48 |
| 31 | Maine | $33,295 | $16.01 |
| 32 | Montana | $30,608 | $14.72 |
| 33 | Delaware | $29,077 | $13.98 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $31,289 | $15.04 |
| 35 | Alabama | $27,245 | $13.10 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $31,426 | $15.11 |
| 37 | Maryland | $34,413 | $16.54 |
| 38 | Indiana | $29,024 | $13.95 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $28,222 | $13.57 |
| 40 | Florida | $25,446 | $12.23 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $27,348 | $13.15 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $23,180 | $11.14 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $26,478 | $12.73 |
| 44 | Georgia | $27,452 | $13.20 |
| 45 | Texas | $27,741 | $13.34 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $24,791 | $11.92 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $27,743 | $13.34 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $26,022 | $12.51 |
| 49 | Iowa | $27,127 | $13.04 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $26,319 | $12.65 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $24,870 | $11.96 |
Highest paying cities for security agents
The highest-paying cities for security agents are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Bloomington, MN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $50,299 | $24.18 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $49,376 | $23.74 |
| 3 | Bloomington, MN | $43,053 | $20.70 |
| 4 | Riverhead, NY | $40,050 | $19.25 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $39,074 | $18.79 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $38,877 | $18.69 |
| 7 | Cambridge, MA | $37,324 | $17.94 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $36,672 | $17.63 |
| 9 | Salt Lake City, UT | $36,588 | $17.59 |
| 10 | Arvada, CO | $35,066 | $16.86 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $34,762 | $16.71 |
| 12 | Olathe, KS | $32,252 | $15.51 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $32,240 | $15.50 |
| 14 | Grand Rapids, MI | $31,996 | $15.38 |
| 15 | Milwaukee, WI | $31,766 | $15.27 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $30,887 | $14.85 |
| 17 | Pittsburgh, PA | $30,885 | $14.85 |
| 18 | Columbus, OH | $30,225 | $14.53 |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $28,759 | $13.83 |
| 20 | Georgetown, KY | $27,892 | $13.41 |
Security agent salary details
A security agent's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $52,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a security agent's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
| 75th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| Average | $35,179 | $2,932 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
Highest paying security agent jobs
The highest paying types of security agents are officer, security specialist, and lead security officer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protective Officer | $40,529 | $3,377 | $19.49 | 103,885 |
| Officer | $52,506 | $4,376 | $25.24 | 114,267 |
| Public Safety Officer | $36,596 | $3,050 | $17.59 | 122,048 |
| Safety And Security Officer | $35,427 | $2,952 | $17.03 | 133,260 |
| Protection Security Officer | $35,926 | $2,994 | $17.27 | 122,427 |
| Unarmed Security Guard | $32,946 | $2,746 | $15.84 | 99,613 |
Top companies hiring security agents now:
Which companies pay security agents the most?
Security agent salaries at Inter-Con Security Systems and University of California, Berkeley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average security agent salary at companies like UC Santa Barbara and University of California are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inter-Con Security Systems | $51,430 | $24.73 |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | $47,800 | $22.98 |
| 3 | UC Santa Barbara | $47,354 | $22.77 |
| 4 | University of California | $46,748 | $22.48 |
| 5 | Radisson Hotels International Inc | $41,416 | $19.91 |
| 6 | Radisson | $39,621 | $19.05 |
| 7 | Ball Arena | $38,734 | $18.62 |
| 8 | Rosewood Hotels & Resorts | $38,579 | $18.55 |
| 9 | Pacific Palms Resort | $37,916 | $18.23 |
| 10 | ESP Systems | $37,658 | $18.10 |
| 11 | G2 Secure Staff | $36,701 | $17.64 |
| 12 | Raytheon Technologies | $36,558 | $17.58 |
| 13 | Auberge Resorts Collection | $35,416 | $17.03 |
| 14 | Hyatt Regency Dallas | $35,164 | $16.91 |
| 15 | United | $34,185 | $16.44 |
| 16 | InterContinental Hotels Group Resources, Inc. | $33,748 | $16.23 |
| 17 | Rose Quarter | $33,528 | $16.12 |
| 18 | Five Below | $33,256 | $15.99 |
| 19 | Unifi Manufacturing | $33,076 | $15.90 |
| 20 | Benchmark Group | $32,967 | $15.85 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Security Agent salary by industry
The average security agent salary varies across industries:
- The average security agent salary in the hospitality industry is $37,992, the highest of any industry.
- The average security agent salary in the finance industry is $34,623.
- Security agents in the professional industry earn an average salary of $31,306, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for security agents
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality | $37,992 | $18.27 |
| 2 | Government | $34,623 | $16.65 |
| 3 | Technology | $33,946 | $16.32 |
| 4 | Transportation | $32,675 | $15.71 |
| 5 | Utilities | $32,123 | $15.44 |
| 6 | Professional | $31,306 | $15.05 |
High paying security agent jobs
Security agent salary trends
The average security agent salary has risen by $8,101 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average security agent earned $27,078 annually, but today, they earn $35,179 a year. That works out to a 20% change in pay for security agents over the last decade.
Compare security agent salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average security agent salary over time
Compare security agent salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Security agent salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $35,200 | $16.91 | +4.4% |
| 2025 | $33,600 | $16.17 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $32,300 | $15.52 | +5.6% |
| 2023 | $30,500 | $14.65 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | $29,200 | $14.04 | +4.4% |
Recently added security agent salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pursuit | Security Agent | Talkeetna, AK | 06/29/2025 | $41,218 |
| Kroenke Sports & Entertainment | KSE Security Agent | Denver, CO | 06/28/2025 | $45,914 |
| Sheetz, Inc. | Loss Investigation Security Agent | Claysburg, PA | 06/27/2025 | $39,423 |
| Secure Care Connect | Security Agent | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $37,566 |
| Gardaworld | Security Agent Surveillance | Syracuse, NY | 06/25/2025 | $37,566 |
| State of Maine | Capitol Police Security Agent-Multiple Vacancies | Augusta, ME | 06/20/2025 | $35,562 |
| ACTS Brand | Security Agents-Newark International Airport | Elizabeth, NJ | 06/20/2025 | $41,740 |
| ACTS Brand | Security Agent | San Antonio, TX | 06/20/2025 | $35,479 |
| ACTS Brand | Security Agent | Eddington, PA | 06/20/2025 | $37,566 |
| ACTS Brand | Security Agent | Tampa, FL | 06/20/2025 | $35,479 |
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