Security Agent Salary
Updated February 6, 2023
Average Security Agent Salary
$35,179yearly
$16.91 hourly
Entry level Salary
$23,000 yearlyHow much does a Security Agent make?
Security agents make $35,179 per year on average, or $16.91 per hour, in the United States. Security agents on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $23,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $52,000.
Location impacts how much a security agent can expect to make. Security agents make the most in Washington, Alaska, California, Minnesota, and North Dakota.
Highest Paying States For Security Agents
- State View
- County View
Average Salary:
Security Agent average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $47,310 | $22.75 | 6,183 |
| 2 | Nevada | $41,142 | $19.78 | 441 |
| 3 | Washington | $50,106 | $24.09 | 1,318 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $39,682 | $19.08 | 250 |
| 5 | Arizona | $36,450 | $17.52 | 1,517 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $42,561 | $20.46 | 597 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $35,574 | $17.10 | 477 |
| 8 | Alaska | $49,862 | $23.97 | 116 |
| 9 | Oregon | $39,280 | $18.88 | 842 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $35,096 | $16.87 | 128 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $43,113 | $20.73 | 1,069 |
| 12 | Vermont | $36,001 | $17.31 | 163 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $42,703 | $20.53 | 147 |
| 14 | New York | $39,822 | $19.15 | 2,348 |
| 15 | Utah | $36,700 | $17.64 | 621 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $37,372 | $17.97 | 1,875 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $32,723 | $15.73 | 2,526 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $36,267 | $17.44 | 180 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $40,208 | $19.33 | 184 |
| 20 | Colorado | $35,060 | $16.86 | 1,063 |
| 21 | Michigan | $32,406 | $15.58 | 1,453 |
| 22 | Illinois | $32,028 | $15.40 | 2,642 |
| 23 | Missouri | $31,078 | $14.94 | 1,278 |
| 24 | Ohio | $30,954 | $14.88 | 2,134 |
| 25 | Virginia | $36,766 | $17.68 | 1,249 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $33,167 | $15.95 | 165 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $31,715 | $15.25 | 1,020 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $34,967 | $16.81 | 1,318 |
| 29 | Kansas | $32,283 | $15.52 | 502 |
| 30 | Idaho | $32,198 | $15.48 | 293 |
| 31 | Maine | $33,295 | $16.01 | 180 |
| 32 | Montana | $30,608 | $14.72 | 242 |
| 33 | Delaware | $29,077 | $13.98 | 298 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $31,289 | $15.04 | 315 |
| 35 | Alabama | $27,245 | $13.10 | 1,011 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $31,426 | $15.11 | 295 |
| 37 | Maryland | $34,413 | $16.54 | 827 |
| 38 | Indiana | $29,024 | $13.95 | 1,201 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $28,222 | $13.57 | 551 |
| 40 | Florida | $25,446 | $12.23 | 3,348 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $27,348 | $13.15 | 954 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $23,180 | $11.14 | 515 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $26,478 | $12.73 | 495 |
| 44 | Georgia | $27,452 | $13.20 | 1,878 |
| 45 | Texas | $27,741 | $13.34 | 3,382 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $24,791 | $11.92 | 652 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $27,743 | $13.34 | 357 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $26,022 | $12.51 | 216 |
| 49 | Iowa | $27,127 | $13.04 | 389 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $26,319 | $12.65 | 1,301 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $24,870 | $11.96 | 710 |
Highest Paying Cities For Security Agents
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $50,299 | $24.18 | 3 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $49,376 | $23.74 | 4 |
| 3 | Bloomington, MN | $43,053 | $20.70 | |
| 4 | Riverhead, NY | $40,050 | $19.25 | |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $39,074 | $18.79 | 4 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $38,877 | $18.69 | 1 |
| 7 | Cambridge, MA | $37,324 | $17.94 | |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $36,672 | $17.63 | |
| 9 | Salt Lake City, UT | $36,588 | $17.59 | 1 |
| 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 |
Security Agent Salary by Years of Experience
Security Agents Salary Details
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 Types of Security Agents
| 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 |
Here are the five companies hiring the most now:
Which Companies Pay Security Agents The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inter-Con Security Systems | $51,430 | $24.73 | 130 |
| 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 | 29 |
| 5 | Radisson Hotels International Inc | $41,416 | $19.91 | 3 |
| 6 | Radisson | $39,621 | $19.05 | |
| 7 | Ball Arena | $38,734 | $18.62 | |
| 8 | Rosewood Hotels & Resorts | $38,579 | $18.55 | 5 |
| 9 | Pacific Palms Resort | $37,916 | $18.23 | |
| 10 | ESP Systems | $37,658 | $18.10 | |
| 11 | G2 Secure Staff | $36,701 | $17.64 | 4 |
| 12 | Raytheon Technologies | $36,558 | $17.58 | 118 |
| 13 | Auberge Resorts Collection | $35,416 | $17.03 | 2 |
| 14 | Hyatt Regency Dallas | $35,164 | $16.91 | |
| 15 | United | $34,185 | $16.44 | 2 |
| 16 | InterContinental Hotels Group Resources, Inc. | $33,748 | $16.23 | 7 |
| 17 | Rose Quarter | $33,528 | $16.12 | 6 |
| 18 | Five Below | $33,256 | $15.99 | 6 |
| 19 | Unifi Manufacturing | $33,076 | $15.90 | 28 |
| 20 | Benchmark Group | $32,967 | $15.85 | 23 |
How Much Do Security Agents Make In Different Industries?
Here are some examples of how much a security agent salaries can based on different industries:
The hospitality industry pays security agents an average salary of $37,992
The government industry pay $34,623
The lowest paying industry for security agents is the professional industry. Security agents in this industry earn an average salary of $31,306
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 Pay Trends
Average Security Agent Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Security Agent Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $35,200 | $16.91 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | $33,600 | $16.17 | +4.0% |
| 2021 | $32,300 | $15.52 | +5.6% |
| 2020 | $30,500 | $14.65 | +4.2% |
| 2019 | $29,200 | $14.04 | +4.4% |
Recently Added Security Agent Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grsprotection.com | Corporate Security Agent | Brentwood, CA | 11/29/2022 | $41,740 |
| Allied Universal | Armed Residential Security Team Agent | San Francisco, CA | 11/27/2022 | $98,089 |
| Allied Universal | Armed Security Response Team Agent | Seattle, WA | 11/26/2022 | $87,654 |
| Careerresourceconsultant.com | Security/Desk Agent | New York, NY | 11/26/2022 | $37,566 |
| Job Listingsallied Universal | Armed Security Response Team Agent | New York, NY | 11/26/2022 | $93,915 |
| VIP Hospitality LLC | Access Control Security Agent | Seattle, WA | 11/23/2022 | $39,653 |
| Citigroup | Cash Investment Trader-Agency Securities Lending/Directed Agent Investment Services | New York, NY | 11/22/2022 | $125,540 |
| Gardaworld Security Services U.S. | Security Agent-Weekends-Unarmed | Lebanon, TN | 11/22/2022 | $32,349 |
| Gardaworld Security Services U.S. | Security Agent-SRO Guard | Columbus, OH | 11/22/2022 | $41,740 |
| St. Moritz Security Services | Video Security Monitoring Agent | Pittsburgh, PA | 11/21/2022 | $33,392 |
Security Agent Salaries FAQs
What State Pays Security Agents The Most?
Washington pays Security Agents the most in the United States, with an average salary of $50,106 per year, or $24.09 per hour.
How Do I Know If I'm Being Paid Fairly As A Security Agent?
You know if you are being paid fairly as a Security Agent if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Alaska you should be paid close to $49,862 per year.
Have more questions? See all answers to common protective service questions.
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