Modesto, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Modesto, CA?

In the Modesto, CA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $38,990 a year ($18.74 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 930 of these jobs there. That is 23% below the $50,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,880 and $59,010; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,966 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Modesto, CA at a glance

Median salary

$38,990$18.74 per hour · $3,249 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,880$17.25/hr
25th percentile$36,600$17.60/hr
75th percentile$47,990$23.07/hr
90th percentile$59,010$28.37/hr
Jobs in this metro930Location quotient 0.58 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here23% belowAll-jobs median $50,610
Against California10% belowStatewide median $43,240
Against the U.S.3% 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 Modesto, CA after taxes

$38,990
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,990
Net 85%
Fed 6%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,966After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,747Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,268Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,499 / yr
California state income tax$542 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,983 / yr

Security guards pay range in Modesto, CA, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Modesto, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$17.25/hr$2,990$35,880$30,592
25th percentile$17.60/hr$3,050$36,600$31,141
MedianMedian$18.74/hr$3,249$38,990$32,966
75th percentile$23.07/hr$3,999$47,990$39,821
90th percentile$28.37/hr$4,918$59,010$48,014

Is $38,990 a good salary in Modesto, 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$81,468Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)104.14.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.9%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Modesto, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Modesto, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Modesto, CA metro area was $38,990 in May 2025, about $3,249 a month or $18.74 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $43,240, so the metro pays 10% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Modesto, CA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Modesto, CA was $18.74 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.25 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.37.

How many security guards work in Modesto, CA?

BLS estimated 930 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 4.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.58 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Modesto, CA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Modesto, CA run from $35,880 at the 10th percentile to $36,600 at the 25th, $47,990 at the 75th, and $59,010 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Modesto, CA?

On a median gross salary of $38,990, an estimated $32,966 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,268 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,024 (an effective rate of 15.4%).

How much do security guards make per month in Modesto, CA?

On the median annual salary of $38,990, gross monthly income is $3,249. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,747 per month (or $1,268 every two weeks).

Is $38,990 a good salary in Modesto, CA?

At $38,990, the median salary for security guards is 47.9% of the Modesto, CA median household income ($81,468). It is 23% below the $50,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 104.1, so prices here run 4.1% above the U.S. average.