Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Fort Smith, AR?

In the Fort Smith, AR-OK metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $34,530 a year ($16.60 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 420 of these jobs there. That is 13% below the $39,560 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,290 and $57,630; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Arkansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,123 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Fort Smith, AR at a glance

Median salary

$34,530$16.60 per hour · $2,878 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,290$13.60/hr
25th percentile$29,270$14.07/hr
75th percentile$43,670$21.00/hr
90th percentile$57,630$27.71/hr
Jobs in this metro420Location quotient 0.54 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here13% belowAll-jobs median $39,560
Against Arkansas3% belowStatewide median $35,770
Against the U.S.9% 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 Fort Smith, AR after taxes

$34,530
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,530
Net 84%
Fed 6%
AR 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,123After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,427Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,120Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,964 / yr
Arkansas state income tax$801 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,642 / yr

Security guards pay range in Fort Smith, AR, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Fort Smith, AR-OK metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AR)
10th percentile$13.60/hr$2,358$28,290$24,346
25th percentile$14.07/hr$2,439$29,270$25,102
MedianMedian$16.60/hr$2,878$34,530$29,123
75th percentile$21.00/hr$3,639$43,670$36,111
90th percentile$27.71/hr$4,803$57,630$46,783

Is $34,530 a good salary in Fort Smith, AR?

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$58,468Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)85.914.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household59.1%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Fort Smith, AR: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area was $34,530 in May 2025, about $2,878 a month or $16.60 an hour. Statewide, the Arkansas median for this job is $35,770, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Fort Smith, AR-OK was $16.60 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.60 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.71.

How many security guards work in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

BLS estimated 420 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 4.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.54 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Fort Smith, AR-OK run from $28,290 at the 10th percentile to $29,270 at the 25th, $43,670 at the 75th, and $57,630 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

On a median gross salary of $34,530, an estimated $29,123 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,120 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Arkansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,407 (an effective rate of 15.7%).

How much do security guards make per month in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

On the median annual salary of $34,530, gross monthly income is $2,878. After federal, FICA, and Arkansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,427 per month (or $1,120 every two weeks).

Is $34,530 a good salary in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

At $34,530, the median salary for security guards is 59.1% of the Fort Smith, AR-OK median household income ($58,468). It is 13% below the $39,560 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 85.9, so prices here run 14.1% below the U.S. average.