Boulder, CO metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Boulder, CO?

In the Boulder, CO metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $46,450 a year ($22.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 480 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $69,580 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,440 and $62,630; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Colorado tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,167 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Boulder, CO at a glance

Median salary

$46,450$22.33 per hour · $3,871 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,440$17.52/hr
25th percentile$39,370$18.93/hr
75th percentile$55,280$26.58/hr
90th percentile$62,630$30.11/hr
Jobs in this metro480Location quotient 0.30 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $69,580
Against Colorado3% aboveStatewide median $45,150
Against the U.S.22% aboveNational 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 Boulder, CO after taxes

$46,450
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$46,450
Net 82%
Fed 7%
CO 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,167After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,181Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,468Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,394 / yr
Colorado state income tax$1,335 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,553 / yr

Security guards pay range in Boulder, CO, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Boulder, CO metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CO)
10th percentile$17.52/hr$3,037$36,440$30,565
25th percentile$18.93/hr$3,281$39,370$32,790
MedianMedian$22.33/hr$3,871$46,450$38,167
75th percentile$26.58/hr$4,607$55,280$44,874
90th percentile$30.11/hr$5,219$62,630$50,456

Is $46,450 a good salary in Boulder, CO?

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$103,994Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)105.25.2% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.7%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Boulder, CO: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Boulder, CO?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Boulder, CO metro area was $46,450 in May 2025, about $3,871 a month or $22.33 an hour. Statewide, the Colorado median for this job is $45,150, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Boulder, CO?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Boulder, CO was $22.33 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.52 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.11.

How many security guards work in Boulder, CO?

BLS estimated 480 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 2.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.30 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Boulder, CO?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Boulder, CO run from $36,440 at the 10th percentile to $39,370 at the 25th, $55,280 at the 75th, and $62,630 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Boulder, CO?

On a median gross salary of $46,450, an estimated $38,167 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,468 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Colorado in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,283 (an effective rate of 17.8%).

How much do security guards make per month in Boulder, CO?

On the median annual salary of $46,450, gross monthly income is $3,871. After federal, FICA, and Colorado state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,181 per month (or $1,468 every two weeks).

Is $46,450 a good salary in Boulder, CO?

At $46,450, the median salary for security guards is 44.7% of the Boulder, CO median household income ($103,994). It is 33% below the $69,580 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 105.2, so prices here run 5.2% above the U.S. average.