Altoona, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Altoona, PA?

In the Altoona, PA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $35,900 a year ($17.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 230 of these jobs there. That is 19% below the $44,270 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,690 and $57,300; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,924 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Altoona, PA at a glance

Median salary

$35,900$17.26 per hour · $2,992 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,690$14.28/hr
25th percentile$29,690$14.28/hr
75th percentile$40,280$19.36/hr
90th percentile$57,300$27.55/hr
Jobs in this metro230Location quotient 0.48 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here19% belowAll-jobs median $44,270
Against Pennsylvania3% belowStatewide median $37,050
Against the U.S.6% belowNational median $38,020

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Security guard salary in Altoona, PA after taxes

$35,900
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,900
Net 83%
Fed 6%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,924After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,494Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,151Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,128 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$1,102 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,746 / yr

Security guards pay range in Altoona, PA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Altoona, PA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Altoona, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$14.28/hr$2,474$29,690$25,124
25th percentile$14.28/hr$2,474$29,690$25,124
MedianMedian$17.26/hr$2,992$35,900$29,924
75th percentile$19.36/hr$3,357$40,280$33,308
90th percentile$27.55/hr$4,775$57,300$46,461

Is $35,900 a good salary in Altoona, PA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for security guards next to both.

Median household income$62,382Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.510.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household57.5%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Security guard pay in Altoona, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Altoona, PA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Altoona, PA metro area was $35,900 in May 2025, about $2,992 a month or $17.26 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $37,050, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Altoona, PA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Altoona, PA was $17.26 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.28 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.55.

How many security guards work in Altoona, PA?

BLS estimated 230 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 4.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.48 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Altoona, PA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Altoona, PA run from $29,690 at the 10th percentile to $29,690 at the 25th, $40,280 at the 75th, and $57,300 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Altoona, PA?

On a median gross salary of $35,900, an estimated $29,924 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,151 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,976 (an effective rate of 16.6%).

How much do security guards make per month in Altoona, PA?

On the median annual salary of $35,900, gross monthly income is $2,992. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,494 per month (or $1,151 every two weeks).

Is $35,900 a good salary in Altoona, PA?

At $35,900, the median salary for security guards is 57.5% of the Altoona, PA median household income ($62,382). It is 19% below the $44,270 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.5, so prices here run 10.5% below the U.S. average.