Charlottesville, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Charlottesville, VA?

In the Charlottesville, VA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $42,170 a year ($20.28 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 340 of these jobs there. That is 24% below the $55,180 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,770 and $71,190; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $34,453 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Charlottesville, VA at a glance

Median salary

$42,170$20.28 per hour · $3,514 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,770$14.31/hr
25th percentile$36,690$17.64/hr
75th percentile$50,530$24.29/hr
90th percentile$71,190$34.23/hr
Jobs in this metro340Location quotient 0.36 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here24% belowAll-jobs median $55,180
Against Virginia3% belowStatewide median $43,640
Against the U.S.11% 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 Charlottesville, VA after taxes

$42,170
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$42,170
Net 82%
Fed 7%
VA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$34,453After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,871Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,325Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,880 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,611 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,226 / yr

Security guards pay range in Charlottesville, VA, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Charlottesville, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$14.31/hr$2,481$29,770$25,203
25th percentile$17.64/hr$3,058$36,690$30,365
MedianMedian$20.28/hr$3,514$42,170$34,453
75th percentile$24.29/hr$4,211$50,530$40,689
90th percentile$34.23/hr$5,933$71,190$55,633

Is $42,170 a good salary in Charlottesville, VA?

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$93,598Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)99.10.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household45.1%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Charlottesville, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Charlottesville, VA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Charlottesville, VA metro area was $42,170 in May 2025, about $3,514 a month or $20.28 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $43,640, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Charlottesville, VA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Charlottesville, VA was $20.28 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.31 an hour and one in ten earned more than $34.23.

How many security guards work in Charlottesville, VA?

BLS estimated 340 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 3.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.36 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Charlottesville, VA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Charlottesville, VA run from $29,770 at the 10th percentile to $36,690 at the 25th, $50,530 at the 75th, and $71,190 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Charlottesville, VA?

On a median gross salary of $42,170, an estimated $34,453 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,325 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,717 (an effective rate of 18.3%).

How much do security guards make per month in Charlottesville, VA?

On the median annual salary of $42,170, gross monthly income is $3,514. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,871 per month (or $1,325 every two weeks).

Is $42,170 a good salary in Charlottesville, VA?

At $42,170, the median salary for security guards is 45.1% of the Charlottesville, VA median household income ($93,598). It is 24% below the $55,180 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 99.1, so prices here run 0.9% below the U.S. average.