Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

In the Athens-Clarke County, GA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $33,910 a year ($16.30 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 560 of these jobs there. That is 18% below the $41,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,950 and $50,690; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Georgia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,483 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA at a glance

Median salary

$33,910$16.30 per hour · $2,826 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,950$15.36/hr
25th percentile$31,950$15.36/hr
75th percentile$41,790$20.09/hr
90th percentile$50,690$24.37/hr
Jobs in this metro560Location quotient 0.71 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here18% belowAll-jobs median $41,220
Against Georgia3% belowStatewide median $34,980
Against the U.S.11% belowNational median $38,020

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

Security guard salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA after taxes

$33,910
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$33,910
Net 84%
Fed 6%
GA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,483After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,374Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,096Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,889 / yr
Georgia state income tax$944 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,594 / yr

Security guards pay range in Athens-Clarke County, GA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Athens-Clarke County, GA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (GA)
10th percentile$15.36/hr$2,663$31,950$27,006
25th percentile$15.36/hr$2,663$31,950$27,006
MedianMedian$16.30/hr$2,826$33,910$28,483
75th percentile$20.09/hr$3,483$41,790$34,421
90th percentile$24.37/hr$4,224$50,690$41,128

Is $33,910 a good salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

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$65,608Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.36.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household51.7%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area was $33,910 in May 2025, about $2,826 a month or $16.30 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $34,980, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Athens-Clarke County, GA was $16.30 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.36 an hour and one in ten earned more than $24.37.

How many security guards work in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

BLS estimated 560 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 5.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.71 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Athens-Clarke County, GA run from $31,950 at the 10th percentile to $31,950 at the 25th, $41,790 at the 75th, and $50,690 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

On a median gross salary of $33,910, an estimated $28,483 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,096 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,427 (an effective rate of 16%).

How much do security guards make per month in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

On the median annual salary of $33,910, gross monthly income is $2,826. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,374 per month (or $1,096 every two weeks).

Is $33,910 a good salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

At $33,910, the median salary for security guards is 51.7% of the Athens-Clarke County, GA median household income ($65,608). It is 18% below the $41,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.3, so prices here run 6.7% below the U.S. average.