Security guard pay in Charleston, SC at a glance
Median salary
$36,620$17.61 per hour · $3,052 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Security guard salary in Charleston, SC after taxes
Security guards pay range in Charleston, SC, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (SC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $14.40/hr | $2,496 | $29,950 | $25,947 |
| 25th percentile | $16.53/hr | $2,864 | $34,370 | $29,411 |
| MedianMedian | $17.61/hr | $3,052 | $36,620 | $31,174 |
| 75th percentile | $20.39/hr | $3,534 | $42,410 | $35,698 |
| 90th percentile | $25.19/hr | $4,365 | $52,380 | $43,110 |
Is $36,620 a good salary in Charleston, SC?
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 South Carolina and across the U.S.
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Security guard pay in Charleston, SC: common questions
What is the median salary for security guards in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area was $36,620 in May 2025, about $3,052 a month or $17.61 an hour. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $35,460, so the metro pays 3% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for security guards in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median hourly wage for security guards in Charleston-North Charleston, SC was $17.61 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.40 an hour and one in ten earned more than $25.19.
How many security guards work in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
BLS estimated 2,190 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 5.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.67 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for security guards in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
BLS wage estimates for security guards in Charleston-North Charleston, SC run from $29,950 at the 10th percentile to $34,370 at the 25th, $42,410 at the 75th, and $52,380 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do security guards take home after taxes in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
On a median gross salary of $36,620, an estimated $31,174 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,199 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,446 (an effective rate of 14.9%).
How much do security guards make per month in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
On the median annual salary of $36,620, gross monthly income is $3,052. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,598 per month (or $1,199 every two weeks).
Is $36,620 a good salary in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
At $36,620, the median salary for security guards is 43% of the Charleston-North Charleston, SC median household income ($85,254). It is 25% below the $49,150 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 101.0, so prices here run 1% above the U.S. average.