Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Indianapolis-Carmel, IN?

In the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $36,490 a year ($17.54 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 9,910 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $49,340 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,250 and $59,380; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Indiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,453 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Indianapolis-Carmel, IN at a glance

Median salary

$36,490$17.54 per hour · $3,041 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,250$14.54/hr
25th percentile$31,230$15.01/hr
75th percentile$43,610$20.97/hr
90th percentile$59,380$28.55/hr
Jobs in this metro9,910Location quotient 1.09 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $49,340
Against Indianaabout the same asStatewide median $36,490
Against the U.S.4% 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 Indianapolis-Carmel, IN after taxes

$36,490
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,490
Net 83%
Fed 6%
IN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,453After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,538Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,171Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,199 / yr
Indiana state income tax$1,047 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,791 / yr

Security guards pay range in Indianapolis-Carmel, IN, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IN)
10th percentile$14.54/hr$2,521$30,250$25,623
25th percentile$15.01/hr$2,603$31,230$26,382
MedianMedian$17.54/hr$3,041$36,490$30,453
75th percentile$20.97/hr$3,634$43,610$35,964
90th percentile$28.55/hr$4,948$59,380$48,170

Is $36,490 a good salary in Indianapolis-Carmel, IN?

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$79,852Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.74.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household45.7%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Indianapolis-Carmel, IN: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area was $36,490 in May 2025, about $3,041 a month or $17.54 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $36,490, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN was $17.54 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.54 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.55.

How many security guards work in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

BLS estimated 9,910 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 9.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.09 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN run from $30,250 at the 10th percentile to $31,230 at the 25th, $43,610 at the 75th, and $59,380 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

On a median gross salary of $36,490, an estimated $30,453 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,171 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,037 (an effective rate of 16.5%).

How much do security guards make per month in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

On the median annual salary of $36,490, gross monthly income is $3,041. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,538 per month (or $1,171 every two weeks).

Is $36,490 a good salary in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

At $36,490, the median salary for security guards is 45.7% of the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN median household income ($79,852). It is 26% below the $49,340 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.7, so prices here run 4.3% below the U.S. average.