Security Guards Salary in New York
Security Guards in New York earn a median $44,240 a year, +16% against the national median of $38,020; they and rank 9th of 51 states by median. That is 26% less than the median across all occupations in New York ($59,670). Among neighbouring states, Vermont and Massachusetts pay more (up to $45,550 in Vermont) and Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania pay less (down to $37,050 in Pennsylvania). New York employs 134,700 security guards, 13.9 per 1,000 jobs, the 2nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.68 means the occupation is more concentrated in New York than nationally.
New York vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.14 | $17.89 | $21.27 | $24.93 | $29.13 | $22.33 | 134,700 | 13.90 | 1.68 |
| Annual | $35,650 | $37,210 | $44,240 | $51,850 | $60,580 | $46,450 | ||||
| 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
- 9th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 2nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.68
- Jobs per 1,000
- 13.90
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of New York'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 York
13 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching New York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca, NY | $23.82 | $49,540 | $37,600 | $63,040 | 240 | 4.98 | 0.60 |
| Syracuse, NY | $21.66 | $45,050 | $34,500 | $77,650 | 1,770 | 5.90 | 0.71 |
| Kingston, NY | $21.54 | $44,790 | $36,050 | $58,280 | 280 | 4.67 | 0.57 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $21.35 | $44,420 | $34,550 | $62,590 | 950 | 7.98 | 0.97 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $21.15 | $43,980 | $35,360 | $60,720 | 142,760 | 15.04 | 1.82 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $20.80 | $43,250 | $35,290 | $59,140 | 2,340 | 5.21 | 0.63 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $20.63 | $42,910 | $34,950 | $60,110 | 3,080 | 11.44 | 1.39 |
| Rochester, NY | $20.61 | $42,860 | $34,980 | $60,790 | 3,300 | 6.68 | 0.81 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $20.52 | $42,680 | $32,240 | $54,950 | 200 | 5.12 | 0.62 |
| Binghamton, NY | $20.22 | $42,070 | $32,240 | $58,570 | 640 | 6.57 | 0.80 |
| Elmira, NY | $19.29 | $40,130 | $32,240 | $69,360 | 90 | 2.71 | 0.33 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $18.71 | $38,920 | $34,170 | $54,060 | 270 | 5.33 | 0.65 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $18.47 | $38,420 | $32,240 | $60,250 | 3,860 | 7.22 | 0.88 |
| Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | $21.72 | $45,190 | $34,710 | $67,160 | 500 | 3.58 | 0.43 |
| Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $19.24 | $40,030 | $33,280 | $53,820 | 750 | 4.20 | 0.51 |
| Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $18.66 | $38,820 | $32,810 | $54,810 | 920 | 5.77 | 0.70 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $21.27 | $44,240 | 134,700 | 1.68 |
| Connecticut | $19.19 | $39,920 | 12,100 | 0.86 |
| Massachusetts | $21.48 | $44,670 | 23,930 | 0.80 |
| New Jersey | $18.69 | $38,880 | 41,540 | 1.17 |
| Pennsylvania | $17.81 | $37,050 | 43,610 | 0.87 |
| Vermont | $21.90 | $45,550 | 930 | 0.37 |
See the national page for Security Guards (every state ranked) and the New York 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 York 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.