Cedar Rapids, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Cedar Rapids, IA?

In the Cedar Rapids, IA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $36,940 a year ($17.76 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,070 of these jobs there. That is 25% below the $49,360 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,390 and $48,200; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,109 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Cedar Rapids, IA at a glance

Median salary

$36,940$17.76 per hour · $3,078 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,390$14.61/hr
25th percentile$36,120$17.37/hr
75th percentile$44,050$21.18/hr
90th percentile$48,200$23.17/hr
Jobs in this metro1,070Location quotient 0.93 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here25% belowAll-jobs median $49,360
Against Iowaabout the same asStatewide median $37,080
Against the U.S.3% 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 Cedar Rapids, IA after taxes

$36,940
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,940
Net 84%
Fed 6%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,109After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,592Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,197Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,253 / yr
Iowa state income tax$752 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,826 / yr

Security guards pay range in Cedar Rapids, IA, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$14.61/hr$2,533$30,390$26,095
25th percentile$17.37/hr$3,010$36,120$30,482
MedianMedian$17.76/hr$3,078$36,940$31,109
75th percentile$21.18/hr$3,671$44,050$36,552
90th percentile$23.17/hr$4,017$48,200$39,729

Is $36,940 a good salary in Cedar Rapids, IA?

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$78,080Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.011% 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 Cedar Rapids, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Cedar Rapids, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area was $36,940 in May 2025, about $3,078 a month or $17.76 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $37,080, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Cedar Rapids, IA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Cedar Rapids, IA was $17.76 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.61 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.17.

How many security guards work in Cedar Rapids, IA?

BLS estimated 1,070 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 7.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.93 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Cedar Rapids, IA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Cedar Rapids, IA run from $30,390 at the 10th percentile to $36,120 at the 25th, $44,050 at the 75th, and $48,200 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Cedar Rapids, IA?

On a median gross salary of $36,940, an estimated $31,109 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,197 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,831 (an effective rate of 15.8%).

How much do security guards make per month in Cedar Rapids, IA?

On the median annual salary of $36,940, gross monthly income is $3,078. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,592 per month (or $1,197 every two weeks).

Is $36,940 a good salary in Cedar Rapids, IA?

At $36,940, the median salary for security guards is 47.3% of the Cedar Rapids, IA median household income ($78,080). It is 25% below the $49,360 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.0, so prices here run 11% below the U.S. average.