Birmingham, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Birmingham, AL?

In the Birmingham, AL metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $33,820 a year ($16.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,660 of these jobs there. That is 29% below the $47,770 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,070 and $44,410; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,002 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Birmingham, AL at a glance

Median salary

$33,820$16.26 per hour · $2,818 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,070$11.09/hr
25th percentile$28,960$13.92/hr
75th percentile$36,900$17.74/hr
90th percentile$44,410$21.35/hr
Jobs in this metro5,660Location quotient 1.32 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here29% belowAll-jobs median $47,770
Against Alabamaabout the same asStatewide median $33,720
Against the U.S.11% 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 Birmingham, AL after taxes

$33,820
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$33,820
Net 83%
Fed 6%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,002After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,334Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,077Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,878 / yr
Alabama state income tax$1,352 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,587 / yr

Security guards pay range in Birmingham, AL, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Birmingham, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$11.09/hr$1,923$23,070$19,755
25th percentile$13.92/hr$2,413$28,960$24,324
MedianMedian$16.26/hr$2,818$33,820$28,002
75th percentile$17.74/hr$3,075$36,900$30,337
90th percentile$21.35/hr$3,701$44,410$36,040

Is $33,820 a good salary in Birmingham, AL?

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$71,498Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.68.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.3%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Birmingham, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Birmingham, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Birmingham, AL metro area was $33,820 in May 2025, about $2,818 a month or $16.26 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $33,720, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Birmingham, AL?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Birmingham, AL was $16.26 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.09 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.35.

How many security guards work in Birmingham, AL?

BLS estimated 5,660 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 10.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.32 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Birmingham, AL?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Birmingham, AL run from $23,070 at the 10th percentile to $28,960 at the 25th, $36,900 at the 75th, and $44,410 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Birmingham, AL?

On a median gross salary of $33,820, an estimated $28,002 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,077 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,818 (an effective rate of 17.2%).

How much do security guards make per month in Birmingham, AL?

On the median annual salary of $33,820, gross monthly income is $2,818. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,334 per month (or $1,077 every two weeks).

Is $33,820 a good salary in Birmingham, AL?

At $33,820, the median salary for security guards is 47.3% of the Birmingham, AL median household income ($71,498). It is 29% below the $47,770 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.6, so prices here run 8.4% below the U.S. average.