Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

33-9032 Security Guards

Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules. May operate x-ray and metal detector equipment. Excludes "Transportation Security Screeners" (33-9093).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
1,114,380 0.9 % $15.41 $32,050 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.76 $11.25 $13.70 $17.82 $23.87
Annual Wage (2) $20,290 $23,400 $28,490 $37,060 $49,650


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Investigation and Security Services 683,730 72.45 $14.66 $30,500
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 38,820 0.70 $17.49 $36,370
Elementary and Secondary Schools 30,810 0.36 $17.16 $35,700
Traveler Accommodation 29,930 1.50 $15.45 $32,130
Real Estate 24,890 1.54 $18.19 $37,830

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Investigation and Security Services 683,730 72.45 $14.66 $30,500
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events 10,330 6.86 $16.71 $34,750
Spectator Sports 8,490 5.89 $15.60 $32,450
Gambling Industries 12,450 5.29 $14.78 $30,750
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 19,410 4.96 $13.98 $29,070

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Natural Gas Distribution 120 0.11 $29.67 $61,720
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services 90 0.06 $27.01 $56,190
Water, Sewage and Other Systems (8) (8) $26.11 $54,310
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 850 0.18 $25.13 $52,270
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 890 0.06 $25.02 $52,030


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 155,540 9.15 1.19 $15.90 $33,070
New York 118,760 12.65 1.64 $17.22 $35,820
Texas 88,250 7.29 0.95 $14.46 $30,090
Florida 85,690 9.95 1.29 $13.36 $27,790
Illinois 47,460 7.92 1.03 $16.13 $33,560




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 13,410 18.82 2.44 $21.16 $44,010
Nevada 21,810 16.19 2.10 $14.47 $30,090
Hawaii 9,460 14.73 1.91 $16.03 $33,330
New York 118,760 12.65 1.64 $17.22 $35,820
Maryland 26,930 10.03 1.30 $17.62 $36,650




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 1,900 6.02 0.78 $22.69 $47,190
District of Columbia 13,410 18.82 2.44 $21.16 $44,010
Washington 18,130 5.56 0.72 $18.49 $38,470
Missouri 17,240 6.15 0.80 $18.09 $37,620
Maryland 26,930 10.03 1.30 $17.62 $36,650





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 131,250 13.82 1.79 $16.99 $35,330
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 69,830 11.41 1.48 $16.09 $33,460
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 44,130 9.51 1.23 $16.13 $33,550
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 37,520 14.49 1.88 $13.23 $27,530
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 36,110 11.52 1.50 $20.86 $43,390
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 28,440 7.97 1.04 $14.54 $30,250
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 27,140 9.53 1.24 $14.26 $29,660
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 26,260 8.80 1.14 $14.37 $29,900
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 20,180 7.52 0.98 $13.82 $28,740
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 19,230 19.49 2.53 $14.46 $30,080




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 19,230 19.49 2.53 $14.46 $30,080
Monroe, LA 1,350 17.46 2.27 (8) (8)
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 2,150 17.07 2.22 $14.45 $30,060
Beckley, WV 720 17.04 2.21 $10.84 $22,550
Urban Honolulu, HI 7,850 16.83 2.19 $15.72 $32,690
Columbia, SC 6,390 16.83 2.19 $16.89 $35,140
Flint, MI 2,240 16.31 2.12 $15.01 $31,230
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 9,140 14.67 1.91 $14.00 $29,120
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 37,520 14.49 1.88 $13.23 $27,530
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 7,930 14.34 1.86 $14.53 $30,210




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 540 4.61 0.60 $25.56 $53,170
Kennewick-Richland, WA 500 4.35 0.56 $24.00 $49,910
Anchorage, AK 1,020 5.96 0.77 $23.75 $49,400
Springfield, IL 420 4.06 0.53 $23.33 $48,520
Decatur, AL 240 4.56 0.59 $22.61 $47,030
Amarillo, TX 960 8.36 1.09 $22.34 $46,460
Syracuse, NY 1,900 6.25 0.81 $21.75 $45,250
Spartanburg, SC 660 4.30 0.56 $21.62 $44,960
Elmira, NY 110 3.22 0.42 $21.31 $44,330
Pittsfield, MA 150 3.64 0.47 $21.11 $43,900

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 1,820 7.79 1.01 $11.02 $22,920
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 1,350 7.33 0.95 $16.76 $34,860
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 1,190 7.05 0.92 $15.52 $32,280
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 1,010 4.05 0.53 $13.46 $27,990
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 970 9.65 1.25 $16.95 $35,250

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 970 9.65 1.25 $16.95 $35,250
Southwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 600 8.31 1.08 $14.51 $30,190
West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 720 8.01 1.04 $15.42 $32,080
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 1,820 7.79 1.01 $11.02 $22,920
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 680 7.46 0.97 $15.11 $31,420

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 730 6.91 0.90 $21.70 $45,130
Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 270 4.12 0.54 $21.25 $44,210
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 150 1.53 0.20 $20.23 $42,080
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 540 4.47 0.58 $19.63 $40,830
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 290 2.39 0.31 $19.47 $40,500


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019