Security guard pay in Merced, CA at a glance
Median salary
$36,820$17.70 per hour · $3,068 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Security guard salary in Merced, CA after taxes
Security guards pay range in Merced, CA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Merced, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (CA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $16.50/hr | $2,860 | $34,320 | $29,401 |
| 25th percentile | $16.95/hr | $2,938 | $35,260 | $30,118 |
| MedianMedian | $17.70/hr | $3,068 | $36,820 | $31,309 |
| 75th percentile | $21.95/hr | $3,804 | $45,650 | $38,051 |
| 90th percentile | $23.26/hr | $4,032 | $48,380 | $40,111 |
Is $36,820 a good salary in Merced, CA?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for security guards next to both.
Security guards pay in California and across the U.S.
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Security guard pay in Merced, CA: common questions
What is the median salary for security guards in Merced, CA?
The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Merced, CA metro area was $36,820 in May 2025, about $3,068 a month or $17.70 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $43,240, so the metro pays 15% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for security guards in Merced, CA?
The median hourly wage for security guards in Merced, CA was $17.70 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.26.
How many security guards work in Merced, CA?
BLS estimated 400 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 5.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.62 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for security guards in Merced, CA?
BLS wage estimates for security guards in Merced, CA run from $34,320 at the 10th percentile to $35,260 at the 25th, $45,650 at the 75th, and $48,380 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do security guards take home after taxes in Merced, CA?
On a median gross salary of $36,820, an estimated $31,309 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,204 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,511 (an effective rate of 15%).
How much do security guards make per month in Merced, CA?
On the median annual salary of $36,820, gross monthly income is $3,068. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,609 per month (or $1,204 every two weeks).
Is $36,820 a good salary in Merced, CA?
At $36,820, the median salary for security guards is 56.2% of the Merced, CA median household income ($65,510). It is 22% below the $47,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.3, so prices here run 1.7% below the U.S. average.