Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

In the Lexington-Fayette, KY metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $35,400 a year ($17.02 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,560 of these jobs there. That is 27% below the $48,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,310 and $47,850; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kentucky tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,503 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Lexington-Fayette, KY at a glance

Median salary

$35,400$17.02 per hour · $2,950 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,310$13.61/hr
25th percentile$33,990$16.34/hr
75th percentile$37,140$17.86/hr
90th percentile$47,850$23.00/hr
Jobs in this metro2,560Location quotient 1.08 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% belowAll-jobs median $48,620
Against Kentuckyabout the same asStatewide median $35,420
Against the U.S.7% 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY after taxes

$35,400
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,400
Net 83%
Fed 6%
KY 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,503After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,459Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,135Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,068 / yr
Kentucky state income tax$1,121 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,708 / yr

Security guards pay range in Lexington-Fayette, KY, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KY)
10th percentile$13.61/hr$2,359$28,310$24,050
25th percentile$16.34/hr$2,833$33,990$28,419
MedianMedian$17.02/hr$2,950$35,400$29,503
75th percentile$17.86/hr$3,095$37,140$30,840
90th percentile$23.00/hr$3,988$47,850$39,070

Is $35,400 a good salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

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$71,966Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.97.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household49.2%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Lexington-Fayette, KY: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area was $35,400 in May 2025, about $2,950 a month or $17.02 an hour. Statewide, the Kentucky median for this job is $35,420, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Lexington-Fayette, KY was $17.02 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.61 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.00.

How many security guards work in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

BLS estimated 2,560 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 8.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.08 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Lexington-Fayette, KY run from $28,310 at the 10th percentile to $33,990 at the 25th, $37,140 at the 75th, and $47,850 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

On a median gross salary of $35,400, an estimated $29,503 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,135 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kentucky in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,898 (an effective rate of 16.7%).

How much do security guards make per month in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

On the median annual salary of $35,400, gross monthly income is $2,950. After federal, FICA, and Kentucky state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,459 per month (or $1,135 every two weeks).

Is $35,400 a good salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

At $35,400, the median salary for security guards is 49.2% of the Lexington-Fayette, KY median household income ($71,966). It is 27% below the $48,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.9, so prices here run 7.1% below the U.S. average.