Security Officer Salary
Average Security Officer Salary
$14.58 hourlyTo create our salary estimates, Zippia starts with data published in publicly available sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC) Show More
How much does a Security Officer make?
Security officers make $30,319 per year on average, or $14.58 per hour, in the United States. Security officers on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $23,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $38,000.
Location impacts how much a security officer can expect to make. Security officers make the most in Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Minnesota, and California.
Highest Paying States For Security Officers
The darker areas on the map show where security officers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
- State View
- County View
Security Officer average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $40,198 | $19.33 | 173 |
| 2 | Washington | $39,060 | $18.78 | 1,408 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $36,232 | $17.42 | 1,405 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $35,368 | $17.00 | 1,824 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $40,926 | $19.68 | 155 |
| 6 | New York | $34,706 | $16.69 | 3,013 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $34,641 | $16.65 | 172 |
| 8 | California | $35,688 | $17.16 | 6,264 |
| 9 | Nevada | $31,054 | $14.93 | 470 |
| 10 | Oregon | $33,818 | $16.26 | 772 |
| 11 | Arizona | $30,525 | $14.68 | 1,284 |
| 12 | Maine | $32,483 | $15.62 | 231 |
| 13 | Vermont | $31,307 | $15.05 | 145 |
| 14 | Missouri | $31,101 | $14.95 | 990 |
| 15 | Illinois | $30,748 | $14.78 | 2,249 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $29,596 | $14.23 | 307 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $30,847 | $14.83 | 323 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $31,677 | $15.23 | 77 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $29,373 | $14.12 | 2,243 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $31,235 | $15.02 | 616 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $30,567 | $14.70 | 165 |
| 22 | Colorado | $31,917 | $15.34 | 1,016 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $37,308 | $17.94 | 232 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $29,899 | $14.37 | 1,702 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $29,967 | $14.41 | 378 |
| 26 | Virginia | $30,023 | $14.43 | 1,841 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $30,540 | $14.68 | 830 |
| 28 | Idaho | $28,400 | $13.65 | 410 |
| 29 | Maryland | $30,592 | $14.71 | 1,144 |
| 30 | Utah | $30,107 | $14.47 | 442 |
| 31 | Iowa | $28,994 | $13.94 | 575 |
| 32 | Montana | $28,756 | $13.82 | 192 |
| 33 | Michigan | $28,792 | $13.84 | 1,192 |
| 34 | Ohio | $27,427 | $13.19 | 1,763 |
| 35 | Kansas | $28,912 | $13.90 | 423 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $28,271 | $13.59 | 502 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $26,837 | $12.90 | 1,712 |
| 38 | Texas | $27,162 | $13.06 | 3,575 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $25,874 | $12.44 | 366 |
| 40 | Florida | $24,326 | $11.70 | 3,156 |
| 41 | Indiana | $26,704 | $12.84 | 971 |
| 42 | Delaware | $27,421 | $13.18 | 198 |
| 43 | Georgia | $24,718 | $11.88 | 1,945 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $20,920 | $10.06 | 477 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $24,466 | $11.76 | 980 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $25,379 | $12.20 | 722 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $25,115 | $12.07 | 542 |
| 48 | Alabama | $23,372 | $11.24 | 782 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $24,227 | $11.65 | 385 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $23,639 | $11.36 | 234 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $23,419 | $11.26 | 508 |
Highest Paying Cities For Security Officers
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $39,583 | $19.03 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $37,817 | $18.18 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $37,341 | $17.95 |
| 4 | Brooklyn Park, MN | $36,317 | $17.46 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $35,368 | $17.00 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $34,635 | $16.65 |
| 7 | Portland, OR | $33,621 | $16.16 |
| 8 | Reno, NV | $32,491 | $15.62 |
| 9 | Portland, ME | $32,474 | $15.61 |
| 10 | Denver, CO | $31,896 | $15.33 |
| 11 | Kansas City, MO | $31,276 | $15.04 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $30,837 | $14.83 |
| 13 | Baltimore, MD | $30,685 | $14.75 |
| 14 | Phoenix, AZ | $30,629 | $14.73 |
| 15 | Milwaukee, WI | $30,446 | $14.64 |
Here Are The Five Most In Demand Cities Right Now:
Security Officer Salary Details
What is a Security Officer's Salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| 75th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| Average | $30,319 | $2,527 | $15 |
| 25th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
Average Salary By Related Titles
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unarmed Security Guard | $31,986 | $2,666 | $15.38 | 99,613 |
| Community Services Officer | $41,239 | $3,437 | $19.83 | 181,257 |
| Enforcement Officer | $37,129 | $3,094 | $17.85 | 82,142 |
| Security/Customer Service | $32,144 | $2,679 | $15.45 | 224,564 |
| Officer | $54,835 | $4,570 | $26.36 | 114,267 |
| Security Supervisor | $42,889 | $3,574 | $20.62 | 87,236 |
Here are the five companies hiring the most now:
Which Companies Pay Security Officers The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Nightingale-Bamford School | $48,382 | $23.26 | 2 |
| 2 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $47,938 | $23.05 | 19 |
| 3 | Sutter Health | $46,753 | $22.48 | 45 |
| 4 | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | $45,949 | $22.09 | 39 |
| 5 | Virginia Mason Medical Center | $45,545 | $21.90 | 22 |
| 6 | Exelon | $45,062 | $21.66 | 28 |
| 7 | Corning Incorporated | $43,026 | $20.69 | 18 |
| 8 | Sharp HealthCare | $42,820 | $20.59 | 5 |
| 9 | Seattle Seahawks | $42,584 | $20.47 | 3 |
| 10 | Stephens | $42,510 | $20.44 | 3 |
| 11 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $41,993 | $20.19 | 72 |
| 12 | Hoag | $41,850 | $20.12 | 3 |
| 13 | Baystate Health | $41,664 | $20.03 | 4 |
| 14 | Prime Healthcare | $41,293 | $19.85 | 113 |
| 15 | Philips | $41,061 | $19.74 | 7 |
| 16 | Scripps Health | $40,590 | $19.51 | 10 |
| 17 | Massachusetts General Hospital | $40,555 | $19.50 | 9 |
| 18 | Yale New Haven Health | $39,996 | $19.23 | 33 |
| 19 | Dignity Health | $39,808 | $19.14 | 79 |
| 20 | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | $39,806 | $19.14 | 33 |
Security Officer Salary Trends
Security Officer Salary By Experience Level
| Experience Level | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level | $22,600 | $10.88 |
| Mid Level | $26,800 | $12.90 |
| Senior Level | $37,000 | $17.81 |
Average Security Officer Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Security Officer Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $30,300 | $14.58 | +4.4% |
| 2021 | $29,000 | $13.93 | +4.0% |
| 2020 | $27,800 | $13.37 | +5.6% |
| 2019 | $26,300 | $12.63 | +4.2% |
| 2018 | $25,200 | $12.10 | +4.4% |
Recently Added Security Officer Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management & Training | Security Officer-Overnight | Saint Louis, MO | 06/02/2022 | $34,248 |
| Management & Training | Security Officer | Reno, NV | 06/02/2022 | $34,436 |
| Gardaworld Security Services U.S. | Security Officer-Food Manufacturing | Milwaukee, WI | 06/01/2022 | $33,392 |
| Constellis | Armed Security Officer | Radford, VA | 06/01/2022 | $33,914 |
| Treasure Island Resort & Casino | Security Officer | River Falls, WI | 06/01/2022 | $34,436 |
| Terra Staffing Group | Security Officer ! | Bellevue, WA | 06/01/2022 | $43,827 |
| Management & Training Corporation | Security Officer | Edinburgh, IN | 06/01/2022 | $31,305 |
| Securitas | Transit Security Officer-Swing Shifts | Vancouver, WA | 06/01/2022 | $37,754 |
| Gardaworld Security Services U.S. | Security Officer-NOW | Minneapolis, MN | 06/01/2022 | $36,523 |
| Gardaworld Security Services U.S. | Security Officer-NOW | Detroit, MI | 06/01/2022 | $31,305 |
Security Officer Salaries FAQs
What state pays Security Officers the most?
Hawaii pays Security Officers the most in the United States, with an average salary of $40,926 per year, or $19.68 per hour.
How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a Security Officer?
You know if you are being paid fairly as a Security Officer 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 $40,198 per year.
What type of Security Officer gets paid the most?
Lead Security Officer gets paid the most. Lead Security Officer made a median salary of $73,184. The best-paid 10 percent make $99,000, while the lowest-paid 10 percent make $53,000.
What is a good starting salary for a Security Officer?
A good starting salary for a security officer is $23,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a security officer in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for security officers is $30,319, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a security officer 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).
Do security officers make good money?
No, security officers do not make good money. The average salary for a security officer is $16.74 per hour or $31.906 a year.
Highest paying cities in the United States for security officers:
How much do level 3 security guards make?
Level 3 security guards make $35,891 per year. The range can start as low as $39,000 to as high as $65,000. Some factors such as armed or unarmed, experience level, and location impact the pay rate for a level 3 security guard.
What's the highest-paying security job?
The highest paying security job is experienced by security guards working at NASA. To boldly go where no security has gone before can earn you between $148,000 to $ $254,000 a year.
Other high-paying armed security jobs at prestigious companies include.
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