Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

In the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $37,600 a year ($18.08 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 250 of these jobs there. That is 34% below the $57,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $33,990 and $48,810; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Massachusetts tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,832 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA at a glance

Median salary

$37,600$18.08 per hour · $3,133 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$33,990$16.34/hr
25th percentile$34,250$16.47/hr
75th percentile$44,640$21.46/hr
90th percentile$48,810$23.46/hr
Jobs in this metro250Location quotient 0.46 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here34% belowAll-jobs median $57,030
Against Massachusetts16% belowStatewide median $44,670
Against the U.S.1% 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 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA after taxes

$37,600
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,600
Net 82%
Fed 6%
MA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,832After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,569Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,186Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,332 / yr
Massachusetts state income tax$1,560 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,876 / yr

Security guards pay range in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MA)
10th percentile$16.34/hr$2,833$33,990$28,111
25th percentile$16.47/hr$2,854$34,250$28,307
MedianMedian$18.08/hr$3,133$37,600$30,832
75th percentile$21.46/hr$3,720$44,640$36,136
90th percentile$23.46/hr$4,068$48,810$39,278

Is $37,600 a good salary in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

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$87,001Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.20.2% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household43.2%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area was $37,600 in May 2025, about $3,133 a month or $18.08 an hour. Statewide, the Massachusetts median for this job is $44,670, so the metro pays 16% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA was $18.08 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.34 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.46.

How many security guards work in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

BLS estimated 250 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 3.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.46 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA run from $33,990 at the 10th percentile to $34,250 at the 25th, $44,640 at the 75th, and $48,810 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

On a median gross salary of $37,600, an estimated $30,832 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,186 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Massachusetts in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,768 (an effective rate of 18%).

How much do security guards make per month in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

On the median annual salary of $37,600, gross monthly income is $3,133. After federal, FICA, and Massachusetts state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,569 per month (or $1,186 every two weeks).

Is $37,600 a good salary in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

At $37,600, the median salary for security guards is 43.2% of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA median household income ($87,001). It is 34% below the $57,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.2, so prices here run 0.2% above the U.S. average.