Security Guards Salary in California
The median for security guards in California is $43,240 a year, somewhat above the national $38,020 (+14%); the state ranks 13th of 51 states by median. That is 26% less than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). Among neighbouring states, Oregon pays more (up to $45,500 in Oregon) and Arizona and Nevada pay less (down to $37,310 in Nevada). California employs 199,480 security guards, 11.0 per 1,000 jobs, the 1st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.33 means the occupation is more concentrated in California than nationally.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| 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 | ||||
| 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
- 13th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 1st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.33
- Jobs per 1,000
- 10.95
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California'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 California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | $22.71 | $47,240 | $38,510 | $75,590 | 760 | 9.72 | 1.18 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $22.23 | $46,250 | $43,900 | $66,970 | 11,800 | 10.40 | 1.26 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $21.99 | $45,730 | $40,340 | $62,470 | 26,830 | 11.30 | 1.37 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $21.71 | $45,160 | $37,770 | $56,850 | 1,560 | 7.60 | 0.92 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $20.96 | $43,610 | $36,480 | $67,620 | 470 | 4.77 | 0.58 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $20.79 | $43,250 | $34,990 | $58,300 | 800 | 3.97 | 0.48 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $20.67 | $42,980 | $35,940 | $99,180 | 530 | 4.32 | 0.52 |
| Vallejo, CA | $20.58 | $42,800 | $37,110 | $59,970 | 950 | 6.58 | 0.80 |
| Redding, CA | $20.35 | $42,330 | $34,460 | $56,730 | 490 | 6.89 | 0.84 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $19.69 | $40,960 | $35,370 | $54,840 | 1,880 | 5.80 | 0.70 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $19.25 | $40,030 | $36,300 | $56,750 | 83,280 | 13.28 | 1.61 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $18.97 | $39,460 | $36,500 | $54,060 | 11,930 | 11.04 | 1.34 |
| Modesto, CA | $18.74 | $38,990 | $35,880 | $59,010 | 930 | 4.75 | 0.58 |
| Salinas, CA | $18.61 | $38,700 | $35,680 | $56,960 | 1,520 | 8.17 | 0.99 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $18.52 | $38,530 | $35,510 | $56,050 | 2,970 | 10.25 | 1.24 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $18.51 | $38,500 | $36,090 | $53,310 | 16,090 | 10.46 | 1.27 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $18.48 | $38,440 | $34,580 | $54,500 | 2,020 | 5.96 | 0.72 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $18.26 | $37,980 | $35,310 | $52,710 | 240 | 4.82 | 0.58 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $17.92 | $37,280 | $35,430 | $56,120 | 22,010 | 12.82 | 1.55 |
| Chico, CA | $17.91 | $37,250 | $34,320 | $53,900 | 340 | 4.38 | 0.53 |
| El Centro, CA | $17.90 | $37,230 | $34,320 | $55,380 | 670 | 10.27 | 1.24 |
| Fresno, CA | $17.87 | $37,180 | $34,320 | $50,450 | 3,620 | 7.59 | 0.92 |
| Yuba City, CA | $17.88 | $37,180 | $34,380 | $46,580 | 390 | 7.55 | 0.91 |
| Visalia, CA | $17.83 | $37,090 | $34,320 | $53,780 | 750 | 4.39 | 0.53 |
| Merced, CA | $17.70 | $36,820 | $34,320 | $48,380 | 400 | 5.08 | 0.62 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $20.64 | $42,940 | $36,410 | $57,840 | 360 | 5.76 | 0.70 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $20.45 | $42,540 | $35,770 | $57,570 | 440 | 4.23 | 0.51 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $20.31 | $42,250 | $35,670 | $59,230 | 490 | 4.44 | 0.54 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Security Guards (every state ranked) and the California 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 California 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.