Security Guards Salary in Virginia
The median for security guards in Virginia is $43,640 a year, somewhat above the national $38,020 (+15%); the state ranks 10th of 51 states by median. That is 22% less than the median across all occupations in Virginia ($55,690). Among neighbouring states, District of Columbia pays more (up to $64,210 in District of Columbia) and Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and West Virginia pay less (down to $28,800 in West Virginia). Virginia employs 34,870 security guards, 8.49 per 1,000 jobs, the 9th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.03 is close to the national share.
Virginia vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $14.90 | $17.30 | $20.98 | $26.37 | $35.12 | $22.63 | 34,870 | 8.49 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $30,990 | $35,990 | $43,640 | $54,850 | $73,060 | $47,070 | ||||
| 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
- 10th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 9th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.03
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.49
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Virginia'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 Virginia
11 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynchburg, VA | $23.79 | $49,480 | $30,330 | $75,860 | 570 | 5.91 | 0.72 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $22.52 | $46,830 | $36,530 | $78,790 | 40,950 | 13.06 | 1.58 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $20.28 | $42,170 | $29,770 | $71,190 | 340 | 2.98 | 0.36 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $20.17 | $41,950 | $31,210 | $60,080 | 170 | 3.31 | 0.40 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $18.22 | $37,900 | $29,830 | $48,030 | 260 | 3.79 | 0.46 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $17.90 | $37,230 | $30,830 | $62,710 | 7,470 | 9.79 | 1.19 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | $17.86 | $37,160 | $29,690 | $53,340 | 200 | 3.03 | 0.37 |
| Richmond, VA | $17.77 | $36,960 | $30,790 | $61,990 | 4,630 | 7.02 | 0.85 |
| Roanoke, VA | $17.74 | $36,900 | $29,310 | $59,440 | 1,300 | 8.44 | 1.02 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $17.68 | $36,780 | $27,600 | $60,140 | 400 | 5.36 | 0.65 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $17.44 | $36,270 | $28,410 | $52,310 | 500 | 4.16 | 0.50 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $23.48 | $48,840 | $30,970 | $70,290 | 370 | 5.65 | 0.68 |
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $18.11 | $37,670 | $29,820 | $66,280 | 780 | 7.55 | 0.91 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $18.06 | $37,550 | $28,260 | $67,710 | 180 | 3.07 | 0.37 |
| Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $17.34 | $36,070 | $26,940 | $71,950 | 690 | 5.90 | 0.71 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $20.98 | $43,640 | 34,870 | 1.03 |
| District of Columbia | $30.87 | $64,210 | 15,880 | 2.74 |
| Kentucky | $17.03 | $35,420 | 13,580 | 0.82 |
| Maryland | $18.37 | $38,220 | 27,670 | 1.21 |
| North Carolina | $16.83 | $35,010 | 29,830 | 0.73 |
| Tennessee | $17.31 | $36,000 | 27,690 | 1.02 |
| West Virginia | $13.85 | $28,800 | 5,200 | 0.90 |
See the national page for Security Guards (every state ranked) and the Virginia 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 Virginia 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.