Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA?

In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $40,030 a year ($19.25 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 83,280 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $55,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,300 and $56,750; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $33,760 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA at a glance

Median salary

$40,030$19.25 per hour · $3,336 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,300$17.45/hr
25th percentile$37,130$17.85/hr
75th percentile$45,730$21.99/hr
90th percentile$56,750$27.29/hr
Jobs in this metro83,280Location quotient 1.61 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $55,850
Against California7% belowStatewide median $43,240
Against the U.S.5% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA after taxes

$40,030
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$40,030
Net 84%
Fed 7%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$33,760After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,813Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,298Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,624 / yr
California state income tax$584 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,062 / yr

Security guards pay range in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$17.45/hr$3,025$36,300$30,912
25th percentile$17.85/hr$3,094$37,130$31,546
MedianMedian$19.25/hr$3,336$40,030$33,760
75th percentile$21.99/hr$3,811$45,730$38,112
90th percentile$27.29/hr$4,729$56,750$46,334

Is $40,030 a good salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA?

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$95,958Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)113.613.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.7%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area was $40,030 in May 2025, about $3,336 a month or $19.25 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $43,240, so the metro pays 7% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA was $19.25 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.45 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.29.

How many security guards work in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

BLS estimated 83,280 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 13.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.61 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA run from $36,300 at the 10th percentile to $37,130 at the 25th, $45,730 at the 75th, and $56,750 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

On a median gross salary of $40,030, an estimated $33,760 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,298 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,270 (an effective rate of 15.7%).

How much do security guards make per month in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

On the median annual salary of $40,030, gross monthly income is $3,336. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,813 per month (or $1,298 every two weeks).

Is $40,030 a good salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

At $40,030, the median salary for security guards is 41.7% of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA median household income ($95,958). It is 28% below the $55,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 113.6, so prices here run 13.6% above the U.S. average.