Security Guards Salary in Maryland
At $38,220 a year, the median for security guards in Maryland is close to the national median of $38,020 (+1%); Maryland ranks 27th of 51 states by median. That is 36% less than the median across all occupations in Maryland ($59,510). Among neighbouring states, District of Columbia and Virginia pay more (up to $64,210 in District of Columbia) and Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia pay less (down to $28,800 in West Virginia). Maryland employs 27,670 security guards, 10.0 per 1,000 jobs, the 14th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.21 means the occupation is more concentrated in Maryland than nationally.
Maryland vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $16.20 | $17.16 | $18.37 | $22.47 | $30.92 | $21.41 | 27,670 | 10.02 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $33,700 | $35,700 | $38,220 | $46,750 | $64,320 | $44,530 | ||||
| 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
- 27th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 14th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.21
- Jobs per 1,000
- 10.02
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Maryland'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 Maryland
6 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Maryland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $22.52 | $46,830 | $36,530 | $78,790 | 40,950 | 13.06 | 1.58 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $21.58 | $44,880 | $31,200 | $79,410 | 380 | 5.36 | 0.65 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $18.00 | $37,450 | $31,330 | $57,970 | 25,460 | 8.79 | 1.06 |
| Salisbury, MD | $17.88 | $37,180 | $32,130 | $48,330 | 240 | 4.39 | 0.53 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $17.78 | $36,970 | $32,810 | $62,200 | 16,020 | 11.81 | 1.43 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $16.34 | $33,990 | $27,240 | $54,630 | 760 | 7.07 | 0.86 |
| Maryland nonmetropolitan area | $17.34 | $36,060 | $31,200 | $57,750 | 580 | 5.08 | 0.62 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $18.37 | $38,220 | 27,670 | 1.21 |
| District of Columbia | $30.87 | $64,210 | 15,880 | 2.74 |
| Delaware | $17.48 | $36,360 | 3,430 | 0.86 |
| Pennsylvania | $17.81 | $37,050 | 43,610 | 0.87 |
| Virginia | $20.98 | $43,640 | 34,870 | 1.03 |
| West Virginia | $13.85 | $28,800 | 5,200 | 0.90 |
See the national page for Security Guards (every state ranked) and the Maryland 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 Maryland 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.