Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Cincinnati, OH?

In the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $36,110 a year ($17.36 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 7,970 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $50,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,670 and $54,970; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Indiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,159 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Cincinnati, OH at a glance

Median salary

$36,110$17.36 per hour · $3,009 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,670$14.27/hr
25th percentile$32,570$15.66/hr
75th percentile$44,760$21.52/hr
90th percentile$54,970$26.43/hr
Jobs in this metro7,970Location quotient 0.88 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $50,170
Against Indiana1% belowStatewide median $36,490
Against the U.S.5% 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 Cincinnati, OH after taxes

$36,110
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,110
Net 84%
Fed 6%
IN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,159After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,513Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,160Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,153 / yr
Indiana state income tax$1,036 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,762 / yr

Security guards pay range in Cincinnati, OH, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IN)
10th percentile$14.27/hr$2,473$29,670$25,174
25th percentile$15.66/hr$2,714$32,570$27,419
MedianMedian$17.36/hr$3,009$36,110$30,159
75th percentile$21.52/hr$3,730$44,760$36,854
90th percentile$26.43/hr$4,581$54,970$44,756

Is $36,110 a good salary in Cincinnati, OH?

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$81,120Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.44.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.5%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Cincinnati, OH: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area was $36,110 in May 2025, about $3,009 a month or $17.36 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $36,490, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN was $17.36 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.27 an hour and one in ten earned more than $26.43.

How many security guards work in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

BLS estimated 7,970 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 7.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.88 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN run from $29,670 at the 10th percentile to $32,570 at the 25th, $44,760 at the 75th, and $54,970 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

On a median gross salary of $36,110, an estimated $30,159 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,160 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,951 (an effective rate of 16.5%).

How much do security guards make per month in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

On the median annual salary of $36,110, gross monthly income is $3,009. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,513 per month (or $1,160 every two weeks).

Is $36,110 a good salary in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

At $36,110, the median salary for security guards is 44.5% of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN median household income ($81,120). It is 28% below the $50,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.4, so prices here run 4.6% below the U.S. average.