Security Guard Salary
Average Security Guard Salary
$15.38hourly
How much does a Security Guard make?
Security guards make $31,983 per year on average, or $15.38 per hour, in the United States. Security guards on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $25,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $40,000.
Location impacts how much a security guard can expect to make. Security guards make the most in Hawaii, Washington, Minnesota, Oregon, and California.
Highest Paying States For Security Guards
The darker areas on the map show where security guards earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
- State View
- County View
Security Guard average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $42,908 | $20.63 | 137 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $36,914 | $17.75 | 1,025 |
| 3 | Washington | $41,518 | $19.96 | 1,008 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $36,208 | $17.41 | 1,282 |
| 5 | Oregon | $36,599 | $17.60 | 500 |
| 6 | New York | $35,393 | $17.02 | 2,191 |
| 7 | Alaska | $36,132 | $17.37 | 97 |
| 8 | California | $36,363 | $17.48 | 4,446 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $32,081 | $15.42 | 200 |
| 10 | Utah | $33,438 | $16.08 | 405 |
| 11 | Nevada | $32,124 | $15.44 | 290 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $35,067 | $16.86 | 87 |
| 13 | Illinois | $32,347 | $15.55 | 1,854 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $33,449 | $16.08 | 65 |
| 15 | Missouri | $32,061 | $15.41 | 770 |
| 16 | Vermont | $33,117 | $15.92 | 87 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $40,485 | $19.46 | 143 |
| 18 | Maine | $33,364 | $16.04 | 136 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $32,998 | $15.86 | 451 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $31,947 | $15.36 | 242 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $32,178 | $15.47 | 1,300 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $29,888 | $14.37 | 1,832 |
| 23 | Colorado | $34,032 | $16.36 | 611 |
| 24 | Arizona | $30,575 | $14.70 | 839 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $30,941 | $14.88 | 276 |
| 26 | Idaho | $32,151 | $15.46 | 152 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $31,178 | $14.99 | 639 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $31,379 | $15.09 | 78 |
| 29 | Virginia | $33,160 | $15.94 | 942 |
| 30 | Delaware | $30,076 | $14.46 | 181 |
| 31 | Indiana | $29,826 | $14.34 | 744 |
| 32 | Ohio | $29,082 | $13.98 | 1,333 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $28,944 | $13.92 | 1,282 |
| 34 | Kansas | $30,238 | $14.54 | 300 |
| 35 | Montana | $28,522 | $13.71 | 161 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $28,990 | $13.94 | 361 |
| 37 | Iowa | $29,199 | $14.04 | 373 |
| 38 | Michigan | $28,794 | $13.84 | 864 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $28,867 | $13.88 | 226 |
| 40 | Maryland | $31,087 | $14.95 | 639 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $28,331 | $13.62 | 405 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $27,494 | $13.22 | 733 |
| 43 | Texas | $27,376 | $13.16 | 2,631 |
| 44 | Alabama | $25,446 | $12.23 | 625 |
| 45 | Florida | $26,174 | $12.58 | 2,171 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $23,962 | $11.52 | 312 |
| 47 | Georgia | $26,032 | $12.52 | 1,404 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $26,952 | $12.96 | 541 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $26,597 | $12.79 | 153 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $25,621 | $12.32 | 250 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $23,482 | $11.29 | 360 |
Highest Paying Cities For Security Guards
| 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 |
Here Are The Five Most In Demand Cities Right Now:
Security Guard Salary Details
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 |
Average Salary By Related Titles
| 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 |
Here are the five companies hiring the most now:
Which Companies Pay Security Guards The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basin Electric Power Cooperative | $46,204 | $22.21 | |
| 2 | University of California, Berkeley | $42,232 | $20.30 | 1 |
| 3 | Andersen | $40,032 | $19.25 | 1 |
| 4 | New York State Restaurant Association | $39,727 | $19.10 | 15 |
| 5 | WestRock | $39,053 | $18.78 | 2 |
| 6 | City of Detroit | $39,049 | $18.77 | 14 |
| 7 | Oakland University | $39,040 | $18.77 | |
| 8 | United Service Technologies | $38,471 | $18.50 | 17 |
| 9 | Safer Foundation | $38,395 | $18.46 | 2 |
| 10 | Capital City Club | $38,311 | $18.42 | 2 |
| 11 | Encompass Health | $38,226 | $18.38 | 2 |
| 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 | 4 |
| 17 | The Culinary Institute of America | $37,600 | $18.08 | 2 |
| 18 | University of Washington | $37,568 | $18.06 | 12 |
| 19 | R+L Carriers | $37,456 | $18.01 | 4 |
| 20 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $37,350 | $17.96 | 15 |
Security Guard Salary Trends
Average Security Guard Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Security Guard Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $32,000 | $15.38 | +4.4% |
| 2021 | $30,600 | $14.70 | +4.0% |
| 2020 | $29,300 | $14.11 | +5.6% |
| 2019 | $27,700 | $13.32 | +4.2% |
| 2018 | $26,500 | $12.76 | +4.4% |
Recently Added Security Guard Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Universal | Security Guard | Boston, MA | 07/27/2022 | $42,241 |
| Job Listingsallied Universal | Security Guard-Floater | Clifton, NJ | 07/26/2022 | $33,183 |
| Bos Security | Weekend Apartment Guard | Smyrna, GA | 07/26/2022 | $29,218 |
| Job Listingsallied Universal | Security Guard-Utilities Site_ | Monroe, NY | 07/26/2022 | $33,392 |
| Job Listingsallied Universal | Overnight Truck Gate Security Guard | Jacksonville, FL | 07/26/2022 | $33,392 |
| Job Listingsallied Universal | Security Guard Distribution | Boston, MA | 07/26/2022 | $35,479 |
| Brookdale Senior Living | Community Security Guard | Colorado Springs, CO | 07/26/2022 | $29,218 |
| Hire Velocity | Cash Transport Guard | Kansas City, MO | 07/26/2022 | $40,050 |
| Job Listingsallied Universal | Security Guard-Auto Insurance Company | Lansing, MI | 07/26/2022 | $31,305 |
| Job Listingsallied Universal | Security Guard Industrial Plant | Madison, AL | 07/26/2022 | $31,305 |
Security Guard Salaries FAQs
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.
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.
What type of Security Guard gets paid the most?
Security Specialist gets paid the most. Security Specialist made a median salary of $49,892. The best-paid 10 percent make $71,000, while the lowest-paid 10 percent make $34,000.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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