Security Guards Salary in Arizona
At $38,290 a year, the median for security guards in Arizona is close to the national median of $38,020 (+1%); Arizona ranks 26th of 51 states by median. That is 24% less than the median across all occupations in Arizona ($50,060). Among neighbouring states, Colorado, New Mexico, California and Utah pay more (up to $45,150 in Colorado) and Nevada pays less (down to $37,310 in Nevada). Arizona employs 29,820 security guards, 9.21 per 1,000 jobs, the 12th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.12 is close to the national share.
Arizona vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $15.34 | $17.15 | $18.41 | $21.16 | $25.21 | $19.69 | 29,820 | 9.21 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $31,910 | $35,670 | $38,290 | $44,010 | $52,450 | $40,950 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 26th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 12th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.12
- Jobs per 1,000
- 9.21
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Arizona's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Arizona
7 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Arizona publish a row for security guards, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $18.41 | $38,290 | $33,190 | $55,290 | 23,160 | 9.75 | 1.18 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | $18.37 | $38,200 | $31,770 | $50,890 | 400 | 6.03 | 0.73 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | $17.80 | $37,030 | $32,110 | $46,240 | 370 | 5.08 | 0.62 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | $17.50 | $36,410 | $32,050 | $53,410 | 310 | 9.23 | 1.12 |
| Tucson, AZ | $17.43 | $36,250 | $31,460 | $50,380 | 3,450 | 8.86 | 1.07 |
| Yuma, AZ | $17.33 | $36,050 | $30,580 | $51,760 | 520 | 7.48 | 0.91 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $17.24 | $35,860 | $30,830 | $47,490 | 340 | 6.10 | 0.74 |
| Arizona nonmetropolitan area | $18.07 | $37,580 | $30,650 | $49,710 | 940 | 9.59 | 1.16 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $18.41 | $38,290 | 29,820 | 1.12 |
| California | $20.79 | $43,240 | 199,480 | 1.33 |
| Colorado | $21.71 | $45,150 | 16,890 | 0.71 |
| New Mexico | $20.83 | $43,320 | 8,410 | 1.17 |
| Nevada | $17.94 | $37,310 | 26,680 | 2.08 |
| Utah | $20.53 | $42,700 | 7,310 | 0.51 |
See the national page for Security Guards (every state ranked) and the Arizona wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Arizona estimates.
- 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.