occupation · 33-9032 · detailed
Security Guards — wages and employment
Security Guards earned a median annual wage of $38,370 in the United States in May 2024, with 1,241,770 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Security Guards earned a median annual wage of $38,370 in the United States in May 2024, with 1,241,770 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $29,800 or less, the best-paid tenth $59,580 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $37,070 to $38,370, +3.5 %. The best-paying state is District of Columbia at $63,130; the lowest Puerto Rico at $20,210. Among metropolitan areas, Kennewick-Richland, WA pays the highest median, $87,770. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 1,241,770 | $38,370 | $42,890 | $29,800 | $35,100 | $46,660 | $59,580 | $18.45 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 1,202,940 | $37,070 | $40,440 | $28,500 | $31,660 | $44,630 | $57,400 | $17.82 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $63,130 | 16,160 |
| Alaska | $48,620 | 2,050 |
| Washington | $48,010 | 24,820 |
| Colorado | $46,080 | 16,830 |
| Minnesota | $46,020 | 14,030 |
| Massachusetts | $44,950 | 24,100 |
| New Hampshire | $44,510 | 2,630 |
| California | $43,930 | 185,510 |
| Oregon | $43,680 | 11,550 |
| Virginia | $43,440 | 33,440 |
| Vermont | $42,800 | 830 |
| New York | $42,680 | 132,140 |
| Utah | $42,440 | 7,000 |
| Hawaii | $41,770 | 9,790 |
| Maine | $41,400 | 1,760 |
| Missouri | $40,680 | 19,180 |
| Idaho | $40,610 | 2,710 |
| Connecticut | $39,990 | 12,040 |
| North Dakota | $39,970 | 1,230 |
| Wisconsin | $39,110 | 11,670 |
| Nebraska | $38,940 | 4,440 |
| Rhode Island | $38,900 | 3,190 |
| New Jersey | $38,720 | 37,970 |
| New Mexico | $38,650 | 8,240 |
| Illinois | $38,630 | 53,560 |
| Maryland | $38,590 | 27,220 |
| Arizona | $38,560 | 26,720 |
| Nevada | $38,340 | 25,610 |
| Montana | $38,300 | 1,440 |
| Michigan | $38,120 | 25,760 |
| Delaware | $37,690 | 3,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,680 | 43,710 |
| Indiana | $37,560 | 17,900 |
| Iowa | $37,380 | 6,450 |
| West Virginia | $37,220 | 6,290 |
| Arkansas | $37,090 | 6,680 |
| South Dakota | $37,010 | 1,420 |
| Oklahoma | $36,580 | 12,320 |
| Wyoming | $36,330 | 1,020 |
| Ohio | $36,180 | 34,590 |
| Kansas | $36,090 | 6,790 |
| Tennessee | $36,090 | 28,260 |
| Florida | $36,090 | 95,350 |
| North Carolina | $35,900 | 29,360 |
| Georgia | $35,670 | 35,410 |
| Kentucky | $35,520 | 13,500 |
| South Carolina | $34,820 | 16,180 |
| Texas | $33,390 | 99,370 |
| Louisiana | $31,660 | 15,780 |
| Alabama | $31,210 | 15,050 |
| Virgin Islands | $30,480 | 1,190 |
| Mississippi | $29,710 | 9,600 |
| Guam | $22,100 | 1,000 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,210 | 27,440 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $87,770 | 650 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $79,470 | 500 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $52,850 | 130 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $51,320 | 660 |
| Boulder, CO | $49,730 | 380 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $49,270 | 220 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $48,700 | 50 |
| Ithaca, NY | $48,480 | 250 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $48,400 | 16,320 |
| Anchorage, AK | $48,260 | 1,120 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $47,680 | 760 |
| Rochester, MN | $47,350 | 510 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $47,270 | 520 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $47,260 | 39,200 |
| Hinesville, GA | $47,050 | 90 |
| Greenville, NC | $47,050 | 310 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $46,740 | 25,400 |
| Kokomo, IN | $46,710 | 80 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $46,450 | 900 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $46,270 | 11,100 |
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