Great Falls, MT metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Great Falls, MT?

In the Great Falls, MT metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $41,950 a year ($20.17 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 260 of these jobs there. That is 10% below the $46,510 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,060 and $44,380; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Montana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $34,672 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Great Falls, MT at a glance

Median salary

$41,950$20.17 per hour · $3,496 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,060$17.34/hr
25th percentile$36,660$17.63/hr
75th percentile$44,380$21.34/hr
90th percentile$44,380$21.34/hr
Jobs in this metro260Location quotient 0.86 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here10% belowAll-jobs median $46,510
Against Montana9% aboveStatewide median $38,480
Against the U.S.10% 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 Great Falls, MT after taxes

$41,950
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$41,950
Net 83%
Fed 7%
MT 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$34,672After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,889Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,334Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,854 / yr
Montana state income tax$1,215 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,209 / yr

Security guards pay range in Great Falls, MT, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Great Falls, MT metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MT)
10th percentile$17.34/hr$3,005$36,060$30,216
25th percentile$17.63/hr$3,055$36,660$30,670
MedianMedian$20.17/hr$3,496$41,950$34,672
75th percentile$21.34/hr$3,698$44,380$36,510
90th percentile$21.34/hr$3,698$44,380$36,510

Is $41,950 a good salary in Great Falls, MT?

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$67,690Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.83.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household62%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Great Falls, MT: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Great Falls, MT?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Great Falls, MT metro area was $41,950 in May 2025, about $3,496 a month or $20.17 an hour. Statewide, the Montana median for this job is $38,480, so the metro pays 9% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Great Falls, MT?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Great Falls, MT was $20.17 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.34 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.34.

How many security guards work in Great Falls, MT?

BLS estimated 260 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 7.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.86 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Great Falls, MT?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Great Falls, MT run from $36,060 at the 10th percentile to $36,660 at the 25th, $44,380 at the 75th, and $44,380 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Great Falls, MT?

On a median gross salary of $41,950, an estimated $34,672 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,334 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Montana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,278 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

How much do security guards make per month in Great Falls, MT?

On the median annual salary of $41,950, gross monthly income is $3,496. After federal, FICA, and Montana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,889 per month (or $1,334 every two weeks).

Is $41,950 a good salary in Great Falls, MT?

At $41,950, the median salary for security guards is 62% of the Great Falls, MT median household income ($67,690). It is 10% below the $46,510 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.8, so prices here run 3.2% below the U.S. average.