Security Guards
Security Guards (SOC 33-9032) earn a median $38,020 a year ($18.28 an hour) in the United States, with 1,283,470 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What security guards do
Security guards guard, patrol or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence or infractions of rules, and the SOC says they may operate x-ray and metal detector equipment. The SOC excludes police officers and transportation security screeners, who have their own codes. Guards lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings, patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion, and check the security of doors, windows and gates. They monitor and authorize the entrance and departure of employees, visitors and others to guard against theft, circulate among visitors, patrons or employees to preserve order, and answer alarms and investigate disturbances. They respond to medical emergencies with basic first aid or by obtaining help from paramedics. They write reports of daily activities and irregularities such as property damage, theft or unauthorized persons, and they warn people of rule violations, apprehending or evicting violators and using force when necessary. About 79 percent of respondents report a high school diploma or equivalent. Other labels used include armed security guard, armored car guard, bag checker and alarm investigator.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical level of education for this occupation (79 percent).
Also called: Alarm Investigator, Armed Guard, Armed Security Guard, Armed Security Officer, Armored Car Driver.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $14.52 | $16.93 | $18.28 | $22.21 | $28.29 | $20.42 | 1,283,470 |
| Annual | $30,210 | $35,210 | $38,020 | $46,200 | $58,840 | $42,470 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where security guards earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $17.60 | $21.88 | $30.87 | $35.67 | $37.94 | $29.19 | 15,880 | 22.62 | 2.74 |
| Annual | $36,600 | $45,510 | $64,210 | $74,200 | $78,910 | $60,720 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $17.56 | $21.33 | $22.83 | $29.04 | $36.71 | $26.03 | 2,100 | 6.46 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $36,520 | $44,370 | $47,480 | $60,400 | $76,350 | $54,140 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $18.13 | $20.21 | $22.64 | $27.40 | $32.88 | $24.41 | 25,800 | 7.27 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $37,720 | $42,030 | $47,100 | $56,990 | $68,390 | $50,770 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $17.33 | $18.54 | $21.90 | $29.68 | $34.92 | $24.41 | 930 | 3.07 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $36,040 | $38,560 | $45,550 | $61,730 | $72,620 | $50,770 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $17.55 | $19.08 | $21.88 | $23.28 | $28.13 | $22.32 | 12,200 | 6.20 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $36,500 | $39,680 | $45,500 | $48,420 | $58,510 | $46,420 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.31 | $17.88 | $20.79 | $22.48 | $27.83 | $21.60 | 199,480 | 10.95 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $36,010 | $37,180 | $43,240 | $46,760 | $57,880 | $44,920 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.14 | $17.89 | $21.27 | $24.93 | $29.13 | $22.33 | 134,700 | 13.90 | 1.68 |
| Annual | $35,650 | $37,210 | $44,240 | $51,850 | $60,580 | $46,450 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $12.96 | $14.08 | $17.30 | $20.98 | $24.40 | $18.54 | 106,210 | 7.55 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $26,950 | $29,290 | $35,980 | $43,630 | $50,740 | $38,550 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.17 | $15.55 | $17.26 | $19.00 | $22.16 | $18.08 | 95,370 | 9.60 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $29,470 | $32,340 | $35,900 | $39,510 | $46,090 | $37,610 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $17.08 | $17.82 | $18.98 | $22.29 | $30.75 | $21.27 | 53,830 | 8.83 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $35,520 | $37,060 | $39,490 | $46,360 | $63,950 | $44,240 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Idaho Falls, ID | Hourly | $15.68 | $23.02 | $37.83 | $37.83 | $37.83 | $32.82 | 570 | 6.96 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $32,600 | $47,880 | $78,680 | $78,680 | $78,680 | $68,260 | ||||
| Fairbanks-College, AK | Hourly | $18.24 | $22.43 | $29.04 | $36.24 | $36.95 | $28.90 | 130 | 3.60 | 0.44 |
| Annual | $37,930 | $46,650 | $60,400 | $75,380 | $76,860 | $60,120 | ||||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | Hourly | $17.55 | $19.49 | $26.29 | $40.64 | $41.78 | $28.67 | 500 | 3.87 | 0.47 |
| Annual | $36,500 | $40,550 | $54,670 | $84,540 | $86,900 | $59,640 | ||||
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | Hourly | $19.10 | $21.78 | $24.60 | $34.92 | $34.92 | $26.61 | 410 | 3.45 | 0.42 |
| Annual | $39,720 | $45,300 | $51,170 | $72,620 | $72,630 | $55,360 | ||||
| Ithaca, NY | Hourly | $18.08 | $19.31 | $23.82 | $28.17 | $30.31 | $23.94 | 240 | 4.98 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $37,600 | $40,170 | $49,540 | $58,600 | $63,040 | $49,800 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.00 | $17.76 | $21.15 | $24.77 | $29.19 | $22.18 | 142,760 | 15.04 | 1.82 |
| Annual | $35,360 | $36,940 | $43,980 | $51,530 | $60,720 | $46,140 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.45 | $17.85 | $19.25 | $21.99 | $27.29 | $21.10 | 83,280 | 13.28 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $36,300 | $37,130 | $40,030 | $45,730 | $56,750 | $43,880 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $17.28 | $17.82 | $19.22 | $22.29 | $30.86 | $21.33 | 48,360 | 10.72 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $35,940 | $37,060 | $39,990 | $46,360 | $64,180 | $44,360 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $14.46 | $15.49 | $17.33 | $19.13 | $21.97 | $18.22 | 41,530 | 14.73 | 1.78 |
| Annual | $30,070 | $32,220 | $36,040 | $39,790 | $45,710 | $37,900 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $17.56 | $18.59 | $22.52 | $34.15 | $37.88 | $26.17 | 40,950 | 13.06 | 1.58 |
| Annual | $36,530 | $38,660 | $46,830 | $71,030 | $78,790 | $54,430 | ||||
Top industries employing security guards
Investigation and Security Services employ 59.9% of security guards nationally (768,900 jobs) at a median $37,350 a year ($17.96 an hour), followed by Elementary and Secondary Schools (4.5%) and General Merchandise Retailers (4.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation and Security Services NAICS 561600 | 768,900 | 59.9% | $37,350 | $17.96 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 58,300 | 4.5% | $45,090 | $21.68 |
| General Merchandise Retailers NAICS 455000 | 51,740 | 4.0% | $35,190 | $16.92 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 49,340 | 3.8% | $46,060 | $22.15 |
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 31,310 | 2.4% | $39,420 | $18.95 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (1,283,470). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $31,470 for security guards in May 2021 and $38,020 in May 2025, with employment of 1,057,100 and 1,283,470.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $31,470 | $15.13 | 1,057,100 |
| May 2022 | $34,750 | $16.71 | 1,124,890 |
| May 2023 | $37,070 | $17.82 | 1,202,940 |
| May 2024 | $38,370 | $18.45 | 1,241,770 |
| May 2025 | $38,020 | $18.28 | 1,283,470 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $30.87 | $64,210 | $36,600 | $78,910 | 15,880 | 22.62 | 2.74 |
| 2 | Alaska profile | $22.83 | $47,480 | $36,520 | $76,350 | 2,100 | 6.46 | 0.78 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $22.64 | $47,100 | $37,720 | $68,390 | 25,800 | 7.27 | 0.88 |
| 4 | Vermont profile | $21.90 | $45,550 | $36,040 | $72,620 | 930 | 3.07 | 0.37 |
| 5 | Oregon profile | $21.88 | $45,500 | $36,500 | $58,510 | 12,200 | 6.20 | 0.75 |
| 6 | New Hampshire profile | $21.73 | $45,200 | $36,500 | $62,400 | 2,450 | 3.58 | 0.43 |
| 7 | Colorado profile | $21.71 | $45,150 | $36,160 | $57,360 | 16,890 | 5.88 | 0.71 |
| 8 | Massachusetts profile | $21.48 | $44,670 | $34,830 | $55,800 | 23,930 | 6.58 | 0.80 |
| 9 | New York profile | $21.27 | $44,240 | $35,650 | $60,580 | 134,700 | 13.90 | 1.68 |
| 10 | Virginia profile | $20.98 | $43,640 | $30,990 | $73,060 | 34,870 | 8.49 | 1.03 |
| 11 | Minnesota profile | $20.86 | $43,380 | $33,760 | $65,090 | 14,440 | 4.89 | 0.59 |
| 12 | New Mexico profile | $20.83 | $43,320 | $30,220 | $64,840 | 8,410 | 9.66 | 1.17 |
| 13 | California profile | $20.79 | $43,240 | $36,010 | $57,880 | 199,480 | 10.95 | 1.33 |
| 14 | Hawaii profile | $20.59 | $42,820 | $35,140 | $58,840 | 10,160 | 16.19 | 1.96 |
| 15 | Utah profile | $20.53 | $42,700 | $31,270 | $56,620 | 7,310 | 4.21 | 0.51 |
| 16 | Missouri profile | $19.42 | $40,390 | $31,040 | $68,860 | 18,630 | 6.34 | 0.77 |
| 17 | Connecticut profile | $19.19 | $39,920 | $34,950 | $59,220 | 12,100 | 7.14 | 0.86 |
| 18 | Nebraska profile | $19.15 | $39,840 | $34,020 | $70,310 | 4,700 | 4.59 | 0.56 |
| 19 | Illinois profile | $18.98 | $39,490 | $35,520 | $63,950 | 53,830 | 8.83 | 1.07 |
| 20 | North Dakota profile | $18.90 | $39,310 | $31,150 | $64,390 | 1,310 | 3.04 | 0.37 |
| 21 | Wyoming profile | $18.85 | $39,200 | $30,350 | $67,680 | 1,130 | 4.04 | 0.49 |
| 22 | Maine profile | $18.80 | $39,100 | $31,470 | $51,530 | 1,930 | 3.01 | 0.36 |
| 23 | New Jersey profile | $18.69 | $38,880 | $32,230 | $60,420 | 41,540 | 9.69 | 1.17 |
| 24 | Montana profile | $18.50 | $38,480 | $28,800 | $57,310 | 1,610 | 3.15 | 0.38 |
| 25 | Idaho profile | $18.41 | $38,300 | $32,030 | $78,680 | 3,750 | 4.37 | 0.53 |
| 26 | Arizona profile | $18.41 | $38,290 | $31,910 | $52,450 | 29,820 | 9.21 | 1.12 |
| 27 | Maryland profile | $18.37 | $38,220 | $33,700 | $64,320 | 27,670 | 10.02 | 1.21 |
| 28 | Wisconsin profile | $18.00 | $37,440 | $30,410 | $54,680 | 12,030 | 4.09 | 0.50 |
| 29 | Nevada profile | $17.94 | $37,310 | $29,140 | $48,340 | 26,680 | 17.20 | 2.08 |
| 30 | South Dakota profile | $17.86 | $37,150 | $30,060 | $59,840 | 1,460 | 3.20 | 0.39 |
| 31 | Iowa profile | $17.83 | $37,080 | $30,350 | $59,290 | 6,890 | 4.42 | 0.54 |
| 32 | Kansas profile | $17.83 | $37,080 | $29,590 | $51,890 | 7,150 | 4.97 | 0.60 |
| 33 | Michigan profile | $17.83 | $37,080 | $29,790 | $54,770 | 25,240 | 5.73 | 0.69 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania profile | $17.81 | $37,050 | $30,050 | $54,830 | 43,610 | 7.19 | 0.87 |
| 35 | Rhode Island profile | $17.76 | $36,940 | $31,200 | $48,520 | 3,160 | 6.29 | 0.76 |
| 36 | Indiana profile | $17.54 | $36,490 | $29,850 | $59,990 | 19,930 | 6.23 | 0.75 |
| 37 | Delaware profile | $17.48 | $36,360 | $32,450 | $73,390 | 3,430 | 7.08 | 0.86 |
| 38 | Oklahoma profile | $17.44 | $36,270 | $26,940 | $56,080 | 12,210 | 7.15 | 0.87 |
| 39 | Tennessee profile | $17.31 | $36,000 | $29,310 | $51,680 | 27,690 | 8.44 | 1.02 |
| 40 | Texas profile | $17.30 | $35,980 | $26,950 | $50,740 | 106,210 | 7.55 | 0.91 |
| 41 | Florida profile | $17.26 | $35,900 | $29,470 | $46,090 | 95,370 | 9.60 | 1.16 |
| 42 | Arkansas profile | $17.20 | $35,770 | $28,870 | $57,410 | 6,390 | 4.90 | 0.59 |
| 43 | Ohio profile | $17.20 | $35,770 | $29,030 | $55,440 | 34,450 | 6.21 | 0.75 |
| 44 | South Carolina profile | $17.05 | $35,460 | $27,420 | $48,850 | 16,610 | 7.21 | 0.87 |
| 45 | Kentucky profile | $17.03 | $35,420 | $28,450 | $50,800 | 13,580 | 6.79 | 0.82 |
| 46 | North Carolina profile | $16.83 | $35,010 | $29,260 | $56,020 | 29,830 | 6.04 | 0.73 |
| 47 | Georgia profile | $16.82 | $34,980 | $29,060 | $48,590 | 36,210 | 7.41 | 0.90 |
| 48 | Alabama profile | $16.21 | $33,720 | $23,110 | $45,640 | 15,210 | 7.20 | 0.87 |
| 49 | Louisiana profile | $15.50 | $32,240 | $23,660 | $49,040 | 17,210 | 8.89 | 1.08 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $14.03 | $29,180 | $21,690 | $42,580 | 10,160 | 8.74 | 1.06 |
| 51 | West Virginia profile | $13.85 | $28,800 | $20,800 | $47,370 | 5,200 | 7.41 | 0.90 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (33-9030), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Protective Service Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 33-9032 Security Guards.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 33-9032, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 33-9032.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.