Bowling Green, KY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Bowling Green, KY?

In the Bowling Green, KY metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $34,720 a year ($16.69 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 390 of these jobs there. That is 23% below the $45,040 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,520 and $47,340; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kentucky tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,980 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Bowling Green, KY at a glance

Median salary

$34,720$16.69 per hour · $2,893 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,520$14.67/hr
25th percentile$31,710$15.24/hr
75th percentile$39,360$18.92/hr
90th percentile$47,340$22.76/hr
Jobs in this metro390Location quotient 0.57 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here23% belowAll-jobs median $45,040
Against Kentucky2% belowStatewide median $35,420
Against the U.S.9% 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 Bowling Green, KY after taxes

$34,720
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,720
Net 83%
Fed 6%
KY 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,980After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,415Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,115Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,986 / yr
Kentucky state income tax$1,098 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,656 / yr

Security guards pay range in Bowling Green, KY, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Bowling Green, KY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KY)
10th percentile$14.67/hr$2,543$30,520$25,752
25th percentile$15.24/hr$2,643$31,710$26,667
MedianMedian$16.69/hr$2,893$34,720$28,980
75th percentile$18.92/hr$3,280$39,360$32,546
90th percentile$22.76/hr$3,945$47,340$38,678

Is $34,720 a good salary in Bowling Green, KY?

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$63,328Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)90.29.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household54.8%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Bowling Green, KY: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Bowling Green, KY?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Bowling Green, KY metro area was $34,720 in May 2025, about $2,893 a month or $16.69 an hour. Statewide, the Kentucky median for this job is $35,420, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Bowling Green, KY?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Bowling Green, KY was $16.69 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.67 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.76.

How many security guards work in Bowling Green, KY?

BLS estimated 390 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 4.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.57 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Bowling Green, KY?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Bowling Green, KY run from $30,520 at the 10th percentile to $31,710 at the 25th, $39,360 at the 75th, and $47,340 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Bowling Green, KY?

On a median gross salary of $34,720, an estimated $28,980 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,115 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kentucky in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,740 (an effective rate of 16.5%).

How much do security guards make per month in Bowling Green, KY?

On the median annual salary of $34,720, gross monthly income is $2,893. After federal, FICA, and Kentucky state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,415 per month (or $1,115 every two weeks).

Is $34,720 a good salary in Bowling Green, KY?

At $34,720, the median salary for security guards is 54.8% of the Bowling Green, KY median household income ($63,328). It is 23% below the $45,040 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 90.2, so prices here run 9.8% below the U.S. average.