Security Guards Salary in Pennsylvania
Security Guards in Pennsylvania have a median of $37,050 a year, below the national $38,020 (−3%); the state ranks 34th of 51 states by median. That is 25% less than the median across all occupations in Pennsylvania ($49,690). Among neighbouring states, New York, New Jersey and Maryland pay more (up to $44,240 in New York) and Delaware, Ohio and West Virginia pay less (down to $28,800 in West Virginia). Pennsylvania employs 43,610 security guards, 7.19 per 1,000 jobs, the 6th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.87 is close to the national share.
Pennsylvania vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $14.45 | $16.62 | $17.81 | $21.30 | $26.36 | $19.32 | 43,610 | 7.19 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $30,050 | $34,570 | $37,050 | $44,300 | $54,830 | $40,180 | ||||
| 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
- 34th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 6th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.87
- Jobs per 1,000
- 7.19
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania
16 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chambersburg, PA | $20.25 | $42,130 | $32,350 | $61,060 | 210 | 3.54 | 0.43 |
| Gettysburg, PA | $18.99 | $39,500 | $29,160 | $59,120 | 130 | 4.12 | 0.50 |
| Reading, PA | $18.73 | $38,960 | $29,990 | $50,300 | 1,050 | 6.04 | 0.73 |
| Lancaster, PA | $18.31 | $38,090 | $30,500 | $54,450 | 880 | 3.49 | 0.42 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $18.21 | $37,880 | $30,100 | $48,800 | 2,320 | 6.92 | 0.84 |
| Lebanon, PA | $18.02 | $37,470 | $28,970 | $49,880 | 130 | 2.40 | 0.29 |
| 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 |
| Altoona, PA | $17.26 | $35,900 | $29,690 | $57,300 | 230 | 3.98 | 0.48 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $17.23 | $35,850 | $29,690 | $55,410 | 9,250 | 8.30 | 1.01 |
| York-Hanover, PA | $17.15 | $35,660 | $29,780 | $60,960 | 830 | 4.54 | 0.55 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $16.90 | $35,160 | $29,870 | $58,190 | 2,070 | 8.08 | 0.98 |
| Erie, PA | $16.60 | $34,530 | $29,900 | $50,790 | 840 | 6.96 | 0.84 |
| Williamsport, PA | $16.56 | $34,440 | $29,320 | $49,110 | 510 | 10.39 | 1.26 |
| State College, PA | $16.49 | $34,290 | $21,360 | $44,450 | 280 | 4.13 | 0.50 |
| Johnstown, PA | $15.06 | $31,320 | $21,570 | $44,610 | 260 | 5.48 | 0.66 |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $17.48 | $36,350 | $30,150 | $47,640 | 660 | 5.10 | 0.62 |
| Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $17.38 | $36,150 | $29,320 | $48,290 | 570 | 3.06 | 0.37 |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $17.13 | $35,630 | $28,410 | $49,710 | 410 | 2.72 | 0.33 |
| Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $16.86 | $35,060 | $29,620 | $47,150 | 430 | 3.09 | 0.37 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $17.81 | $37,050 | 43,610 | 0.87 |
| 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 |
| New York | $21.27 | $44,240 | 134,700 | 1.68 |
| Ohio | $17.20 | $35,770 | 34,450 | 0.75 |
| West Virginia | $13.85 | $28,800 | 5,200 | 0.90 |
See the national page for Security Guards (every state ranked) and the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.