Security Guards Salary in Texas
Security Guards in Texas have a median of $35,980 a year, below the national $38,020 (−5%); the state ranks 40th of 51 states by median. That is 26% less than the median across all occupations in Texas ($48,620). Among neighbouring states, New Mexico and Oklahoma pay more (up to $43,320 in New Mexico) and Arkansas and Louisiana pay less (down to $32,240 in Louisiana). Texas employs 106,210 security guards, 7.55 per 1,000 jobs, the 3rd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.91 is close to the national share.
Texas vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $12.96 | $14.08 | $17.30 | $20.98 | $24.40 | $18.54 | 106,210 | 7.55 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $26,950 | $29,290 | $35,980 | $43,630 | $50,740 | $38,550 | ||||
| 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
- 40th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 3rd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.91
- Jobs per 1,000
- 7.55
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Texas'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 Texas
26 metropolitan areas and 6 nonmetropolitan areas touching Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odessa, TX | $18.47 | $38,420 | $28,090 | $78,970 | 230 | 2.80 | 0.34 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $18.23 | $37,920 | $28,810 | $54,300 | 8,410 | 6.50 | 0.79 |
| Midland, TX | $18.03 | $37,500 | $28,600 | $77,650 | 240 | 1.93 | 0.23 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $17.63 | $36,680 | $28,270 | $52,000 | 34,000 | 8.40 | 1.02 |
| Tyler, TX | $17.39 | $36,170 | $28,900 | $71,650 | 530 | 4.60 | 0.56 |
| Abilene, TX | $17.37 | $36,120 | $27,000 | $53,650 | 220 | 2.95 | 0.36 |
| Amarillo, TX | $17.08 | $35,520 | $26,580 | $47,880 | 590 | 4.72 | 0.57 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $17.05 | $35,460 | $27,670 | $48,140 | 29,250 | 8.89 | 1.08 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | $17.01 | $35,390 | $27,450 | $67,850 | 730 | 4.85 | 0.59 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $16.96 | $35,270 | $27,760 | $45,370 | 11,420 | 10.13 | 1.23 |
| Waco, TX | $16.96 | $35,270 | $27,090 | $60,520 | 650 | 5.02 | 0.61 |
| Lubbock, TX | $16.93 | $35,220 | $25,170 | $48,500 | 850 | 5.09 | 0.62 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $16.83 | $35,010 | $25,700 | $42,910 | 1,100 | 6.74 | 0.82 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | $16.79 | $34,920 | $24,670 | $61,950 | 220 | 4.05 | 0.49 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | $16.37 | $34,060 | $24,120 | $56,410 | 150 | 2.62 | 0.32 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | $16.36 | $34,030 | $25,250 | $70,380 | 490 | 3.68 | 0.45 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $16.29 | $33,870 | $24,750 | $47,340 | 1,210 | 6.30 | 0.76 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | $16.28 | $33,860 | $25,160 | $50,430 | 150 | 2.84 | 0.34 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $16.22 | $33,740 | $22,570 | $59,680 | 1,100 | 6.99 | 0.85 |
| San Angelo, TX | $16.20 | $33,700 | $27,060 | $47,340 | 120 | 2.43 | 0.29 |
| Victoria, TX | $15.84 | $32,950 | $23,540 | $94,380 | 130 | 3.42 | 0.41 |
| Longview, TX | $15.25 | $31,730 | $25,940 | $47,990 | 550 | 4.70 | 0.57 |
| Eagle Pass, TX | $14.44 | $30,030 | $22,950 | $49,320 | 140 | 7.59 | 0.92 |
| El Paso, TX | $14.30 | $29,740 | $22,790 | $49,570 | 3,700 | 10.92 | 1.32 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $14.08 | $29,290 | $23,100 | $38,360 | 4,100 | 13.83 | 1.68 |
| Laredo, TX | $14.03 | $29,180 | $22,560 | $46,990 | 900 | 8.26 | 1.00 |
| Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $20.00 | $41,610 | $25,170 | $61,560 | 230 | 4.84 | 0.59 |
| Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $18.79 | $39,090 | $29,290 | $61,100 | 750 | 4.99 | 0.60 |
| Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $17.81 | $37,050 | $27,700 | $51,160 | 480 | 2.55 | 0.31 |
| Eastern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $17.61 | $36,620 | $24,960 | $93,000 | 410 | 3.58 | 0.43 |
| Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $17.52 | $36,430 | $25,130 | $50,170 | 590 | 2.95 | 0.36 |
| North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $17.12 | $35,600 | $26,910 | $61,210 | 1,020 | 3.70 | 0.45 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $17.30 | $35,980 | 106,210 | 0.91 |
| Arkansas | $17.20 | $35,770 | 6,390 | 0.59 |
| Louisiana | $15.50 | $32,240 | 17,210 | 1.08 |
| New Mexico | $20.83 | $43,320 | 8,410 | 1.17 |
| Oklahoma | $17.44 | $36,270 | 12,210 | 0.87 |
See the national page for Security Guards (every state ranked) and the Texas 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 Texas 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.