Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA?

In the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $35,150 a year ($16.90 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 22,730 of these jobs there. That is 31% below the $51,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,000 and $48,010; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Georgia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,418 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA at a glance

Median salary

$35,150$16.90 per hour · $2,929 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,000$14.42/hr
25th percentile$33,090$15.91/hr
75th percentile$39,330$18.91/hr
90th percentile$48,010$23.08/hr
Jobs in this metro22,730Location quotient 0.95 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here31% belowAll-jobs median $51,170
Against Georgiaabout the same asStatewide median $34,980
Against the U.S.8% 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 Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA after taxes

$35,150
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,150
Net 84%
Fed 6%
GA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,418After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,451Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,131Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,038 / yr
Georgia state income tax$1,005 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,689 / yr

Security guards pay range in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (GA)
10th percentile$14.42/hr$2,500$30,000$25,537
25th percentile$15.91/hr$2,758$33,090$27,865
MedianMedian$16.90/hr$2,929$35,150$29,418
75th percentile$18.91/hr$3,278$39,330$32,568
90th percentile$23.08/hr$4,001$48,010$39,109

Is $35,150 a good salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, 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$89,724Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.10.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household39.2%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area was $35,150 in May 2025, about $2,929 a month or $16.90 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $34,980, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA was $16.90 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.42 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.08.

How many security guards work in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

BLS estimated 22,730 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 7.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.95 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA run from $30,000 at the 10th percentile to $33,090 at the 25th, $39,330 at the 75th, and $48,010 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

On a median gross salary of $35,150, an estimated $29,418 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,131 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,732 (an effective rate of 16.3%).

How much do security guards make per month in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

On the median annual salary of $35,150, gross monthly income is $2,929. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,451 per month (or $1,131 every two weeks).

Is $35,150 a good salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

At $35,150, the median salary for security guards is 39.2% of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median household income ($89,724). It is 31% below the $51,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.1, so prices here run 0.1% above the U.S. average.