Cleveland, OH metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Cleveland, OH metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $35,890 a year ($17.25 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 7,630 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $50,140 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,750 and $56,510; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Ohio tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,481 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Cleveland, OH at a glance

Median salary

$35,890$17.25 per hour · $2,991 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,750$13.82/hr
25th percentile$31,180$14.99/hr
75th percentile$44,250$21.27/hr
90th percentile$56,510$27.17/hr
Jobs in this metro7,630Location quotient 0.90 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $50,140
Against Ohioabout the same asStatewide median $35,770
Against the U.S.6% 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 Cleveland, OH after taxes

$35,890
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,890
Net 85%
Fed 6%
OH 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,481After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,540Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,172Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,127 / yr
Ohio state income tax$537 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,746 / yr

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

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

What security guards earned in the Cleveland, OH metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (OH)
10th percentile$13.82/hr$2,396$28,750$24,940
25th percentile$14.99/hr$2,598$31,180$26,826
MedianMedian$17.25/hr$2,991$35,890$30,481
75th percentile$21.27/hr$3,688$44,250$36,962
90th percentile$27.17/hr$4,709$56,510$46,475

Is $35,890 a good salary in Cleveland, 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$70,678Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.96.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household50.8%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Cleveland, OH: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Cleveland, OH?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Cleveland, OH metro area was $35,890 in May 2025, about $2,991 a month or $17.25 an hour. Statewide, the Ohio median for this job is $35,770, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Cleveland, OH?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Cleveland, OH was $17.25 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.82 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.17.

How many security guards work in Cleveland, OH?

BLS estimated 7,630 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 7.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.90 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Cleveland, OH?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Cleveland, OH run from $28,750 at the 10th percentile to $31,180 at the 25th, $44,250 at the 75th, and $56,510 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Cleveland, OH?

On a median gross salary of $35,890, an estimated $30,481 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,172 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Ohio in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,409 (an effective rate of 15.1%).

How much do security guards make per month in Cleveland, OH?

On the median annual salary of $35,890, gross monthly income is $2,991. After federal, FICA, and Ohio state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,540 per month (or $1,172 every two weeks).

Is $35,890 a good salary in Cleveland, OH?

At $35,890, the median salary for security guards is 50.8% of the Cleveland, OH median household income ($70,678). It is 28% below the $50,140 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.9, so prices here run 6.1% below the U.S. average.