Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL?

In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $36,040 a year ($17.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 41,530 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $48,640 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,070 and $45,710; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Florida tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,138 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL at a glance

Median salary

$36,040$17.33 per hour · $3,003 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,070$14.46/hr
25th percentile$32,220$15.49/hr
75th percentile$39,790$19.13/hr
90th percentile$45,710$21.97/hr
Jobs in this metro41,530Location quotient 1.78 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $48,640
Against Floridaabout the same asStatewide median $35,900
Against the U.S.5% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL after taxes

$36,040
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,040
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,138After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,595Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,198Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,145 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,757 / yr

Security guards pay range in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (FL)
10th percentile$14.46/hr$2,506$30,070$26,341
25th percentile$15.49/hr$2,685$32,220$28,069
MedianMedian$17.33/hr$3,003$36,040$31,138
75th percentile$19.13/hr$3,316$39,790$34,151
90th percentile$21.97/hr$3,809$45,710$38,908

Is $36,040 a good salary in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL?

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$76,527Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)114.214.2% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.1%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area was $36,040 in May 2025, about $3,003 a month or $17.33 an hour. Statewide, the Florida median for this job is $35,900, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL was $17.33 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.46 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.97.

How many security guards work in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

BLS estimated 41,530 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 14.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.78 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL run from $30,070 at the 10th percentile to $32,220 at the 25th, $39,790 at the 75th, and $45,710 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

On a median gross salary of $36,040, an estimated $31,138 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,198 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,902 (an effective rate of 13.6%).

How much do security guards make per month in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

On the median annual salary of $36,040, gross monthly income is $3,003. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,595 per month (or $1,198 every two weeks).

Is $36,040 a good salary in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

At $36,040, the median salary for security guards is 47.1% of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL median household income ($76,527). It is 26% below the $48,640 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 114.2, so prices here run 14.2% above the U.S. average.