Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Chicago-Naperville, IL?

In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $39,990 a year ($19.22 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 48,360 of these jobs there. That is 27% below the $54,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,940 and $64,180; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Illinois tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,477 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Chicago-Naperville, IL at a glance

Median salary

$39,990$19.22 per hour · $3,333 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,940$17.28/hr
25th percentile$37,060$17.82/hr
75th percentile$46,360$22.29/hr
90th percentile$64,180$30.86/hr
Jobs in this metro48,360Location quotient 1.30 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% belowAll-jobs median $54,720
Against Illinois1% aboveStatewide median $39,490
Against the U.S.5% 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 Chicago-Naperville, IL after taxes

$39,990
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$39,990
Net 81%
Fed 7%
IL 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,477After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,706Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,249Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,619 / yr
Illinois state income tax$1,835 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,059 / yr

Security guards pay range in Chicago-Naperville, IL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IL)
10th percentile$17.28/hr$2,995$35,940$29,424
25th percentile$17.82/hr$3,088$37,060$30,268
MedianMedian$19.22/hr$3,333$39,990$32,477
75th percentile$22.29/hr$3,863$46,360$37,280
90th percentile$30.86/hr$5,348$64,180$50,717

Is $39,990 a good salary in Chicago-Naperville, IL?

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$90,887Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.63.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household44%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Chicago-Naperville, IL: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area was $39,990 in May 2025, about $3,333 a month or $19.22 an hour. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $39,490, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $19.22 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.28 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.86.

How many security guards work in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

BLS estimated 48,360 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 10.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.30 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN run from $35,940 at the 10th percentile to $37,060 at the 25th, $46,360 at the 75th, and $64,180 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

On a median gross salary of $39,990, an estimated $32,477 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,249 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,513 (an effective rate of 18.8%).

How much do security guards make per month in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

On the median annual salary of $39,990, gross monthly income is $3,333. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,706 per month (or $1,249 every two weeks).

Is $39,990 a good salary in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

At $39,990, the median salary for security guards is 44% of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median household income ($90,887). It is 27% below the $54,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.6, so prices here run 3.6% above the U.S. average.