Security Guards Wages
SOC 33-9032 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Security Guards is $37,070 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $28,500 and the 90th percentile is $57,400, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
1,202,940
P10
$28,500
P25
$31,660
Median
$37,070
P75
$44,630
P90
$57,400
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Security Guards have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $37,070 | $40,440 | $28,500 | $57,400 | 1,202,940 | — |
| 2022 | $34,750 | $36,700 | $24,020 | $51,350 | 1,124,890 | -6.26% |
| 2021 | $31,470 | $35,830 | $23,250 | $50,040 | 1,057,100 | -9.44% |
| 2020 | $31,050 | $34,360 | $21,930 | $51,600 | 1,054,400 | -1.33% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Security Guards. The highest median is in District of Columbia at $51,110, 38% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $51,110 | +37.9% | $54,830 | 14,570 |
| Alaska | $47,300 | +27.6% | $52,220 | 2,320 |
| Washington | $45,090 | +21.6% | $47,190 | 23,830 |
| Maryland | $41,610 | +12.2% | $47,450 | 27,370 |
| Minnesota | $41,600 | +12.2% | $47,390 | 12,800 |
| New Hampshire | $40,880 | +10.3% | $45,220 | 2,660 |
| Massachusetts | $40,390 | +9% | $44,310 | 23,700 |
| Colorado | $40,010 | +7.9% | $44,640 | 16,400 |
| New York | $39,780 | +7.3% | $44,250 | 121,920 |
| California | $39,590 | +6.8% | $44,940 | 183,620 |
| North Dakota | $39,430 | +6.4% | $42,620 | 1,170 |
| Vermont | $39,260 | +5.9% | $40,920 | 840 |
| Oregon | $39,140 | +5.6% | $43,690 | 10,920 |
| Maine | $39,090 | +5.4% | $40,310 | 1,690 |
| Hawaii | $38,900 | +4.9% | $39,470 | 9,390 |
| Virginia | $38,790 | +4.6% | $43,960 | 33,600 |
| Missouri | $38,430 | +3.7% | $44,490 | 18,620 |
| Rhode Island | $38,380 | +3.5% | $39,130 | 2,940 |
| New Jersey | $37,860 | +2.1% | $41,570 | 37,910 |
| Indiana | $37,800 | +2% | $39,840 | 19,050 |
| Utah | $37,780 | +1.9% | $38,720 | 5,970 |
| Connecticut | $37,630 | +1.5% | $40,290 | 11,870 |
| Illinois | $36,960 | -0.3% | $40,110 | 51,340 |
| Nebraska | $36,820 | -0.7% | $39,900 | 4,410 |
| Idaho | $36,800 | -0.7% | $43,970 | 2,440 |
| Wisconsin | $36,620 | -1.2% | $38,330 | 10,840 |
| Nevada | $36,340 | -2% | $36,940 | 22,490 |
| Arizona | $36,090 | -2.6% | $38,950 | 25,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,020 | -2.8% | $37,380 | 43,440 |
| Iowa | $35,930 | -3.1% | $37,240 | 6,310 |
| Michigan | $35,740 | -3.6% | $37,150 | 25,170 |
| Arkansas | $35,340 | -4.7% | $35,340 | 6,280 |
| South Dakota | $35,330 | -4.7% | $36,800 | 1,410 |
| Georgia | $34,800 | -6.1% | $37,430 | 35,910 |
| Wyoming | $34,800 | -6.1% | $38,260 | 910 |
| Montana | $34,630 | -6.6% | $36,810 | 1,310 |
| Ohio | $34,350 | -7.3% | $38,760 | 34,490 |
| Delaware | $34,250 | -7.6% | $37,410 | 2,860 |
| New Mexico | $34,250 | -7.6% | $36,460 | 7,490 |
| Tennessee | $33,970 | -8.4% | $37,230 | 26,840 |
| Florida | $33,890 | -8.6% | $35,980 | 91,200 |
| North Carolina | $33,550 | -9.5% | $36,410 | 28,490 |
| Kansas | $33,470 | -9.7% | $37,050 | 6,470 |
| South Carolina | $31,660 | -14.6% | $34,190 | 14,740 |
| Texas | $31,530 | -14.9% | $35,700 | 98,660 |
| Kentucky | $31,380 | -15.3% | $34,000 | 12,970 |
| Oklahoma | $29,780 | -19.7% | $34,730 | 11,830 |
| West Virginia | $29,630 | -20.1% | $30,990 | 6,080 |
| Louisiana | $29,310 | -20.9% | $32,040 | 14,580 |
| Alabama | $29,010 | -21.7% | $31,490 | 15,290 |
| Mississippi | $28,500 | -23.1% | $31,630 | 10,300 |