Security guard pay in Boston-Cambridge, MA at a glance
Median salary
$44,990$21.63 per hour · $3,749 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Security guard salary in Boston-Cambridge, MA after taxes
Security guards pay range in Boston-Cambridge, MA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (MA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.20/hr | $2,982 | $35,780 | $29,460 |
| 25th percentile | $18.68/hr | $3,238 | $38,860 | $31,781 |
| MedianMedian | $21.63/hr | $3,749 | $44,990 | $36,400 |
| 75th percentile | $22.32/hr | $3,868 | $46,420 | $37,477 |
| 90th percentile | $27.14/hr | $4,704 | $56,450 | $45,035 |
Is $44,990 a good salary in Boston-Cambridge, MA?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for security guards next to both.
Security guards pay in Massachusetts and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Security guard pay in Boston-Cambridge, MA: common questions
What is the median salary for security guards in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area was $44,990 in May 2025, about $3,749 a month or $21.63 an hour. Statewide, the Massachusetts median for this job is $44,670, so the metro pays 1% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for security guards in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median hourly wage for security guards in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH was $21.63 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.20 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.14.
How many security guards work in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
BLS estimated 19,250 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 7.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.86 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for security guards in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
BLS wage estimates for security guards in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH run from $35,780 at the 10th percentile to $38,860 at the 25th, $46,420 at the 75th, and $56,450 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do security guards take home after taxes in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
On a median gross salary of $44,990, an estimated $36,400 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,400 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Massachusetts in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,590 (an effective rate of 19.1%).
How much do security guards make per month in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
On the median annual salary of $44,990, gross monthly income is $3,749. After federal, FICA, and Massachusetts state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,033 per month (or $1,400 every two weeks).
Is $44,990 a good salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
At $44,990, the median salary for security guards is 38.8% of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH median household income ($115,863). It is 32% below the $66,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.3, so prices here run 8.3% above the U.S. average.