Security Guards salary · Pennsylvania
Security Guards Salary in Pennsylvania
Security Guards in Pennsylvania earn a median of $37,050 a year, which is $17.81 an hour. That is $970 below the national median of $38,020, a difference of 3 percent. The state employs 43,610.
Pennsylvania against the US May 2025
| Figure | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $37,050 | $38,020 |
| Median hourly | $17.81 | $18.28 |
| Mean annual | $40,180 | $42,470 |
| 10th percentile | $30,050 | $30,210 |
| 90th percentile | $54,830 | $58,840 |
| Employment | 43,610 | 1,283,470 |
How Pennsylvania compares
By median pay, Pennsylvania ranks 7 of the 12 states this site reports for security guards. Ranking is on the published median only. It says nothing about how far that salary goes once housing, state income tax and commuting are paid, and those differences between states are frequently larger than the pay gap itself.
Other states for security guards May 2025
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $44,240 | $21.27 | 134,700 |
| Virginia | $43,640 | $20.98 | 34,870 |
| California | $43,240 | $20.79 | 199,480 |
| Illinois | $39,490 | $18.98 | 53,830 |
| New Jersey | $38,880 | $18.69 | 41,540 |
| Arizona | $38,290 | $18.41 | 29,820 |
| Texas | $35,980 | $17.30 | 106,210 |
| Florida | $35,900 | $17.26 | 95,370 |
| Ohio | $35,770 | $17.20 | 34,450 |
| North Carolina | $35,010 | $16.83 | 29,830 |
| Georgia | $34,980 | $16.82 | 36,210 |
Common questions
How much do security guards make in Pennsylvania?
The median salary for security guards in Pennsylvania is $37,050 a year, or $17.81 an hour. That is $970 below the national median of $38,020, a difference of 3 percent. Pennsylvania employs 43,610 of them.
Is Pennsylvania a good state to work as a security guard?
On pay alone, Pennsylvania ranks 7 of the 12 states this site reports for the occupation, by median salary. Pay is only half the question though: a state with a higher median can still leave you with less once housing and taxes are counted, and this site does not adjust for cost of living.
What is the pay range for security guards in Pennsylvania?
The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $30,050 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $54,830 or more. The middle half falls between $34,570 and $44,300.
Where these numbers come from
Published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, for SOC code 33-9032 in Pennsylvania. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national security guards salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.