How much does a security guard make?

The average security guard salary in the United States is $31,983. Security guard salaries typically range between $25,000 and $40,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for security guards is $15.38 per hour. Security guard salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Security guards earn the highest average salary in Hawaii.

Security guard salary

Q: What state pays Security Guards the most?

Hawaii pays Security Guards the most in the United States, with an average salary of $42,908 per year, or $20.63 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a security guard?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a security guard if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Washington you should be paid close to $41,518 per year.

Q: 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.

Q: Do security guards make good money?

No, security guards do not make good money. The median hourly wage is only $14.27 an hour ($29,680 a year). The hourly wage for a security guard ranges from $10.17 ($21,159 a year) and to $24.19 ($50,319 a year).

Q: How much do beginner security guards make?

Beginner security guards make between $23,000 to $33,000 per year. Top earning entry-level security guards may earn up to $47,000 in a year, but the median salary is around $31,000 a year.

Q: What are the highest-paying security guard jobs?

The highest-paying security guard jobs include the chief information security officers, security architects, and risk managers. These jobs all utilize the skills of a security job at an advanced leadership level, which means they are also highly compensated.

Average security guard salary

$15.38

$31,983 yearly

Entry-level security guard salary

$25,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Security Guard Salaries

The average security guard salary across the United States is around $31,983 per year, translating to about $15 per hour. However, these figures can vary significantly depending on several factors, including location, years of experience, and the specific sector of employment.

Salary by State

Security guards in states like California and New York often see higher salaries, reflecting a greater demand for security services in densely populated urban areas. Conversely, rural states may offer lower average salaries.

Experience Levels

Entry-level security guards may start at around $25,000 annually, while those with more experience can earn upwards of $40,000 or more, especially in specialized roles or supervisory positions.

Opportunities for Advancement

Additionally, pursuing certifications or specialized training can enhance earning potential and open doors to higher-paying positions in the security field. Understanding these dynamics can help job seekers better navigate their career paths.

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Security guard salary by:

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Where can a Security Guard earn more?

Compare salary by location

59k

39k

19k

-1k

Columbus, OH$41,745

Grand Rapids, MI$28,830

Compare salary by company

67k

47k

27k

Basin Electric Power Cooperative$46,204

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center$37,350

Security guard salaries by experience level

Security guard salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor and Ziprecruiter, the average salary for a security guard typically falls between $30,541 and $43,965.

zippia

$31,983yearly

glassdoor[1]

$43,965yearly

indeed[2]

$35,249yearly

Salary.com[3]

$30,541yearly

ZipRecruiter[4]

$41,740yearly

Average security guard salary by state

The average security guard salary in Hawaii, Washington, and Minnesota are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average security guard salary states are Florida, Georgia, and Arkansas.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for security guards

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Hawaii	$42,908	$20.63
2	Minnesota	$36,914	$17.75
3	Washington	$41,518	$19.96
4	Massachusetts	$36,208	$17.41
5	Oregon	$36,599	$17.60
6	New York	$35,393	$17.02
7	Alaska	$36,132	$17.37
8	California	$36,363	$17.48
9	Rhode Island	$32,081	$15.42
10	Utah	$33,438	$16.08
11	Nevada	$32,124	$15.44
12	North Dakota	$35,067	$16.86
13	Illinois	$32,347	$15.55
14	Wyoming	$33,449	$16.08
15	Missouri	$32,061	$15.41
16	Vermont	$33,117	$15.92
17	District of Columbia	$40,485	$19.46
18	Maine	$33,364	$16.04
19	Connecticut	$32,998	$15.86
20	New Hampshire	$31,947	$15.36
21	New Jersey	$32,178	$15.47
22	Pennsylvania	$29,888	$14.37
23	Colorado	$34,032	$16.36
24	Arizona	$30,575	$14.70
25	Nebraska	$30,941	$14.88
26	Idaho	$32,151	$15.46
27	Wisconsin	$31,178	$14.99
28	South Dakota	$31,379	$15.09
29	Virginia	$33,160	$15.94
30	Delaware	$30,076	$14.46
31	Indiana	$29,826	$14.34
32	Ohio	$29,082	$13.98
33	North Carolina	$28,944	$13.92
34	Kansas	$30,238	$14.54
35	Montana	$28,522	$13.71
36	Oklahoma	$28,990	$13.94
37	Iowa	$29,199	$14.04
38	Michigan	$28,794	$13.84
39	New Mexico	$28,867	$13.88
40	Maryland	$31,087	$14.95
41	Kentucky	$28,331	$13.62
42	Tennessee	$27,494	$13.22
43	Texas	$27,376	$13.16
44	Alabama	$25,446	$12.23
45	Florida	$26,174	$12.58
46	Mississippi	$23,962	$11.52
47	Georgia	$26,032	$12.52
48	South Carolina	$26,952	$12.96
49	West Virginia	$26,597	$12.79
50	Arkansas	$25,621	$12.32
51	Louisiana	$23,482	$11.29

Top security guard jobs near you

Highest paying cities for security guards

The highest-paying cities for security guards are Lakewood, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Minneapolis, MN.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Lakewood, WA	$41,745	$20.07
2	San Francisco, CA	$37,614	$18.08
3	Minneapolis, MN	$36,935	$17.76
4	Portland, OR	$36,525	$17.56
5	Lexington, MA	$36,249	$17.43
6	New York, NY	$35,309	$16.98
7	Boulder, CO	$34,220	$16.45
8	Salt Lake City, UT	$33,419	$16.07
9	Portland, ME	$33,411	$16.06
10	Reno, NV	$33,140	$15.93
11	Chicago, IL	$32,421	$15.59
12	Kansas City, MO	$32,363	$15.56
13	Glendale, AZ	$30,672	$14.75
14	Kansas City, KS	$30,446	$14.64
15	Reading, PA	$29,954	$14.40
16	Cleveland, OH	$29,785	$14.32
17	Columbus, IN	$29,251	$14.06
18	Albuquerque, NM	$28,996	$13.94
19	Oklahoma City, OK	$28,984	$13.93
20	Grand Rapids, MI	$28,830	$13.86

Security Guards are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Security guard salary details

A security guard's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $40,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average security guard salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a security guard's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$40,000	$3,333	$19
75th Percentile	$36,000	$3,000	$17
Average	$31,983	$2,665	$15
25th Percentile	$28,000	$2,333	$13
10th Percentile	$25,000	$2,083	$12

Highest paying security guard jobs

The highest paying types of security guards are security specialist, lead security officer, and armed guard.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Enforcement Officer	$38,446	$3,204	$18.48	82,142
Protective Officer	$40,529	$3,377	$19.49	103,885
Community Services Officer	$38,039	$3,170	$18.29	181,257
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

Top companies hiring security guards now:

Which companies pay security guards the most?

Security guard salaries at Basin Electric Power Cooperative and University of California, Berkeley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average security guard salary at companies like Andersen and New York State Restaurant Association are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Basin Electric Power Cooperative	$46,204	$22.21
2	University of California-Berkeley	$42,232	$20.30
3	Andersen	$40,032	$19.25
4	New York State Restaurant Association	$39,727	$19.10
5	WestRock	$39,053	$18.78
6	City of Detroit	$39,049	$18.77
7	Oakland University	$39,040	$18.77
8	United Service Technologies	$38,471	$18.50
9	Safer Foundation	$38,395	$18.46
10	Capital City Club	$38,311	$18.42
11	Encompass Health	$38,226	$18.38
12	BP America Inc	$37,867	$18.21
13	Tucson Electric Power	$37,746	$18.15
14	Vista Outdoor	$37,723	$18.14
15	Covenant	$37,703	$18.13
16	City of Austin	$37,636	$18.09
17	The Culinary Institute of America	$37,600	$18.08
18	University of Washington	$37,568	$18.06
19	R+L Carriers	$37,456	$18.01
20	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$37,350	$17.96

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$33,000$32,800$32,600$32,400$32,200$32,000

MaleFemale

Security guard salary trends

The average security guard salary has risen by $7,365 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average security guard earned $24,618 annually, but today, they earn $31,983 a year. That works out to a 20% change in pay for security guards over the last decade.

Compare security guard salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average security guard salary over time

Compare security guard salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Security guard salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$32,000	$15.38	+4.4%
2024	$30,600	$14.70	+4.0%
2023	$29,300	$14.11	+5.6%
2022	$27,700	$13.32	+4.2%
2021	$26,500	$12.76	+4.4%

Recently added security guard salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Service Corporation International	Security Guard	Kaneohe, HI	06/30/2025	$33,392
Trinity Health	Security Guard Public Safety	Fresno, CA	06/30/2025	$43,827
Asmglobal	Security Guard (Lacc)	Los Angeles, CA	06/30/2025	$41,740
Carvana	Security Guard-Adesa Auto Auction	Tracy, CA	06/29/2025	$37,566
Universal Logistics Holdings	2Nd Shift Guard Shack Clerk	Greer, SC	06/29/2025	$45,914
IPS	Event Security Guard for 2024	San Jose, CA	06/29/2025	$37,566
Terrascend	Security Guard/Driver	Hagerstown, MD	06/29/2025	$43,827
Planned Systems International	Security Guard	Jersey City, NJ	06/29/2025	$39,653
Gardaworld	Surveillance Flex Security Guard-Residential	Henderson, NV	06/29/2025	$48,001
Job Listingsallied Universal	Security Guard-Housing Assessment Facility	New York, NY	06/29/2025	$37,566