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Salary data · Bespree
Security Guard Salary in Philadelphia
Security Guards in the Philadelphia area earn a median of $18.00/hr — based on BLS OEWS May 2025.
At median pay, that's roughly $37,440/year, $720/week, or $3,118/month (40-hour week, before taxes).
Adjusted for local prices, the median $18.00/hr wage is about $17.55/hr in national-average purchasing power, and HUD's one-bedroom FMR equals about 84.4 hours of work, or 49% of gross monthly pay.
About security guards
Job duties, work environment, and education based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What security guards do
Security guards protect property, assets, and people. They patrol premises, monitor surveillance equipment, inspect buildings, control access with gates and doors, write reports of daily activities and irregularities, and call the police or fire department in emergencies. Some guards are stationed at a single location such as a bank or store, while others patrol large areas. Guards may also screen visitors, operate X-ray machines, and detain rule violators until police arrive.
Work environment
Security guards work in a wide variety of settings including retail stores, office buildings, hospitals, government facilities, and outdoor venues. Many positions require standing or walking for long periods. The work can be outdoors in all weather conditions. Security guards often work shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays, because security coverage is needed around the clock. Some positions involve risk of confrontation.
How to become one
Most security guard jobs require a high school diploma or equivalent. Training requirements vary by state — many states require guards to be registered or licensed and complete a training program covering topics like emergency procedures and detention of suspects. Armed guards must meet additional requirements including firearms training and permits. Background checks and drug testing are standard.
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — bls.gov/ooh. BLS content is in the public domain.
Hourly wage ranges
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th) | $15.06 | $31,325 |
| 25th percentile | $17.30 | $35,984 |
| Median (50th) | $18.00 | $37,440 |
| 75th percentile | $21.94 | $45,635 |
| Top earners (90th) | $27.87 | $57,970 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 · Annual estimate = hourly × 2,080 hrs · Actual annual income varies by hours worked and schedule.
Security Guards — Hourly Pay Distribution
Percentile range from entry-level to top earners
How Philadelphia compares
Security Guards pay by metro
| Metro | Median/hr |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $18.00 |
| New Haven | $21.67 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford | $21.34 |
| New York City | $21.15 |
| Los Angeles | $19.25 |
| Chicago | $19.22 |
| Miami | $17.33 |
| Houston | $17.05 |
| Trenton-Princeton | $16.82 |
Security Guards — Median Hourly Pay by Metro
Sorted by median pay, highest to lowest
What pay means locally
A broad purchasing-power view using BEA regional price data.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare broad local price levels with the U.S. average. They help explain how far a median hourly wage may go in Philadelphia.
| BLS median wage | $18.00/hr |
|---|---|
| BEA all-items RPP | 102.6 |
| Local price level | 2.6% higher than the U.S. average |
| Cost-adjusted median | $17.55/hr |
HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark
HUD Fair Market Rent is a 40th-percentile gross rent benchmark by bedroom size, not average rent. The one-bedroom value is the default comparison for hourly worker affordability.
| Bedroom size | HUD FMR | Hours at median |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,397/mo | 77.6 hours |
| 1 bedroom | $1,520/mo | 84.4 hours |
| 2 bedroom | $1,810/mo | 100.6 hours |
At the local BLS median wage, HUD's one-bedroom FMR equals about 84.4 hours of work, or roughly 49% of gross monthly pay before taxes.
Methodology: cost-adjusted median = BLS median hourly wage ÷ (BEA all-items RPP ÷ 100). An RPP above 100 means local prices are higher than the U.S. average.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis MARPP 2024, line 1 (RPPs: All items); BEA area 37980: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (Metropolitan Statistical Area).
HUD rent source: FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents, 40th percentile gross rent. HUD area: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. Multi-state MSA row appears by state component in the HUD schedule with the same FMR values.
This is broad metro-level context, not a personal budget, tax, or take-home-pay estimate.
Compare affordability for security guard
Compare the same role across metros using cost-adjusted pay and rent context.
Where security guard pay goes furthest
- New Haven
$20.73/hr cost-adjusted median
BLS median: $21.67/hr
- Bridgeport-Stamford
$19.97/hr cost-adjusted median
BLS median: $21.34/hr
- New York City
$18.79/hr cost-adjusted median
BLS median: $21.15/hr
- Chicago
$18.55/hr cost-adjusted median
BLS median: $19.22/hr
Affordability questions
- What is the cost-adjusted wage for security guard in Philadelphia?
- The BLS median wage is $18.00/hr. After adjusting by the BEA all-items RPP of 102.6, that is about $17.55/hr in national-average purchasing power.
- How many hours does one-bedroom Fair Market Rent take at the median wage?
- HUD's one-bedroom FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA is $1,520/mo. At $18.00/hr, that equals about 84.4 hours of work, or 49% of gross monthly pay before taxes.
- Is this a personal budget estimate?
- No. These are broad metro-level comparisons from public datasets. They do not include taxes, benefits, household size, commuting choices, or actual housing costs.
Job outlook for Security Guards
National employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
🔵 Little or no change
+0.8% projected growth, 2024–2034
+9,600
2024–2034
~154,800
New + replacement
1,132,300
2024 estimate
High school diploma
Entry-level
On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034. Published August 2025. National-level projections — local growth may differ.
Skills & qualifications
Key skills and knowledge areas from O*NET OnLine, plus representative tools compiled by Bespree for security guards.
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Law and Government
- Administration and Management
- Two-way radios
- Surveillance cameras
- Metal detectors
- Access control systems
- Flashlights
Skills and knowledge data from O*NET OnLine, sponsored by U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Bespree has selected and summarized a subset of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Tools & technology listed are representative examples compiled by Bespree.
Commute-adjusted effective wage
What you actually earn after subtracting the cost of getting to work.
Effective hourly wage after estimated commute costs, based on a 40-hr work week.
| Commute mode | Monthly cost | Hourly impact | Effective wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| No commute cost (baseline) | — | — | $18.00 |
| Public transit (regional estimate) | ~$120/mo | −$0.69/hr | $17.31/hr |
| Driving (gas + wear) | ~$280/mo | −$1.62/hr | $16.38/hr |
Methodology: Commute cost is deducted from median hourly wage assuming 2,080 working hours per year (52 weeks × 40 hrs). Costs are directional estimates based on published transit fares or AAA average variable driving costs. Actual costs vary by distance, schedule, vehicle, and commute days.
Public transit (regional estimate): Estimated regional monthly transit cost.
Driving (gas + wear): AAA avg variable cost estimate.
Local job market
—
No current paid openings on Bespree
No exact matches right now — new openings are added regularly.
Browse all jobs on Bespree →BLS estimates 25,460 security guards employed in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area, or 1.3 per 1,000 jobs. (BLS OEWS May 2025)
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Data source: Wage data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, BLS OEWS May 2025. Regional price context uses U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP 2024, all-items RPP). Rent context uses HUD Fair Market Rents (FY 2026, 40th percentile gross rent). Job outlook data is from the BLS Employment Projections program (BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034). BLS data is in the public domain. Occupation profile content summarized from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Skills and knowledge data from O*NET OnLine, sponsored by U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Bespree has selected and summarized a subset of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Tools & technology listed are representative examples compiled by Bespree. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after retrieval. Wage figures are estimates and do not constitute a guarantee of earnings. Actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, and hours worked. Weekly and monthly earnings shown assume a 40-hour work week and are pre-tax estimates. Commute cost figures and regional price adjustments are directional estimates; actual commute costs, purchasing power, and budgets vary.