Security Guards Salary in New Jersey
The median for security guards in New Jersey is $38,880 a year, somewhat above the national $38,020 (+2%); the state ranks 23rd of 51 states by median. That is 34% less than the median across all occupations in New Jersey ($58,570). Among neighbouring states, New York pays more (up to $44,240 in New York) and Pennsylvania and Delaware pay less (down to $36,360 in Delaware). New Jersey employs 41,540 security guards, 9.69 per 1,000 jobs, the 7th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.17 is close to the national share.
New Jersey vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $15.50 | $16.71 | $18.69 | $23.14 | $29.05 | $20.92 | 41,540 | 9.69 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $32,230 | $34,770 | $38,880 | $48,120 | $60,420 | $43,520 | ||||
| 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
- 23rd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 7th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.17
- Jobs per 1,000
- 9.69
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of New Jersey'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 New Jersey
6 metropolitan areas touching New Jersey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $21.15 | $43,980 | $35,360 | $60,720 | 142,760 | 15.04 | 1.82 |
| Vineland, NJ | $19.36 | $40,260 | $33,560 | $62,920 | 390 | 6.24 | 0.76 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $19.18 | $39,900 | $32,220 | $51,750 | 2,870 | 16.99 | 2.06 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $18.00 | $37,450 | $31,330 | $57,970 | 25,460 | 8.79 | 1.06 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $17.32 | $36,020 | $30,850 | $49,500 | 2,570 | 6.82 | 0.83 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $16.82 | $34,980 | $32,220 | $59,540 | 3,110 | 12.95 | 1.57 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $18.69 | $38,880 | 41,540 | 1.17 |
| Delaware | $17.48 | $36,360 | 3,430 | 0.86 |
| New York | $21.27 | $44,240 | 134,700 | 1.68 |
| Pennsylvania | $17.81 | $37,050 | 43,610 | 0.87 |
See the national page for Security Guards (every state ranked) and the New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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.