Security Guards Salary in Delaware
Security Guards in Delaware have a median of $36,360 a year, below the national $38,020 (−4%); the state ranks 37th of 51 states by median. That is 30% less than the median across all occupations in Delaware ($52,190). Every neighbouring state pays more: New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania range from $37,050 in Pennsylvania to $38,880 in New Jersey. Delaware employs 3,430 security guards, 7.08 per 1,000 jobs, the 42nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.86 is close to the national share.
Delaware vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Delaware | Hourly | $15.60 | $17.31 | $17.48 | $21.37 | $35.28 | $21.04 | 3,430 | 7.08 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $32,450 | $36,000 | $36,360 | $44,450 | $73,390 | $43,750 | ||||
| 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
- 37th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 42nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.86
- Jobs per 1,000
- 7.08
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Delaware'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 Delaware
2 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Delaware 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $18.00 | $37,450 | $31,330 | $57,970 | 25,460 | 8.79 | 1.06 |
| Dover, DE | $16.88 | $35,100 | $31,200 | $51,890 | 240 | 3.52 | 0.43 |
| Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area | $17.66 | $36,720 | $31,200 | $51,350 | 320 | 3.33 | 0.40 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $17.48 | $36,360 | 3,430 | 0.86 |
| Maryland | $18.37 | $38,220 | 27,670 | 1.21 |
| New Jersey | $18.69 | $38,880 | 41,540 | 1.17 |
| Pennsylvania | $17.81 | $37,050 | 43,610 | 0.87 |
See the national page for Security Guards (every state ranked) and the Delaware 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 Delaware 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.