Security guard pay in Columbia, SC at a glance
Median salary
$35,140$16.90 per hour · $2,928 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Security guard salary in Columbia, SC after taxes
Security guards pay range in Columbia, SC, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Columbia, 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 | $13.52/hr | $2,343 | $28,120 | $24,506 |
| 25th percentile | $14.49/hr | $2,511 | $30,130 | $26,088 |
| MedianMedian | $16.90/hr | $2,928 | $35,140 | $30,014 |
| 75th percentile | $18.22/hr | $3,158 | $37,900 | $32,177 |
| 90th percentile | $22.01/hr | $3,816 | $45,790 | $38,252 |
Is $35,140 a good salary in Columbia, 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 Columbia, SC: common questions
What is the median salary for security guards in Columbia, SC?
The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Columbia, SC metro area was $35,140 in May 2025, about $2,928 a month or $16.90 an hour. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $35,460, so the metro pays 1% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for security guards in Columbia, SC?
The median hourly wage for security guards in Columbia, SC was $16.90 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.52 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.01.
How many security guards work in Columbia, SC?
BLS estimated 5,290 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 13.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.63 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for security guards in Columbia, SC?
BLS wage estimates for security guards in Columbia, SC run from $28,120 at the 10th percentile to $30,130 at the 25th, $37,900 at the 75th, and $45,790 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do security guards take home after taxes in Columbia, SC?
On a median gross salary of $35,140, an estimated $30,014 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,154 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,126 (an effective rate of 14.6%).
How much do security guards make per month in Columbia, SC?
On the median annual salary of $35,140, gross monthly income is $2,928. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,501 per month (or $1,154 every two weeks).
Is $35,140 a good salary in Columbia, SC?
At $35,140, the median salary for security guards is 51.4% of the Columbia, SC median household income ($68,359). It is 24% below the $46,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.7, so prices here run 6.3% below the U.S. average.