New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in New York-Newark, NY?

In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $43,980 a year ($21.15 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 142,760 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $61,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,360 and $60,720; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New Jersey tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,636 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in New York-Newark, NY at a glance

Median salary

$43,980$21.15 per hour · $3,665 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,360$17.00/hr
25th percentile$36,940$17.76/hr
75th percentile$51,530$24.77/hr
90th percentile$60,720$29.19/hr
Jobs in this metro142,760Location quotient 1.82 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $61,430
Against New Jersey13% aboveStatewide median $38,880
Against the U.S.16% 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 New York-Newark, NY after taxes

$43,980
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$43,980
Net 83%
Fed 7%
NJ 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,636After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,053Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,409Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,098 / yr
New Jersey state income tax$882 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,364 / yr

Security guards pay range in New York-Newark, NY, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NJ)
10th percentile$17.00/hr$2,947$35,360$30,060
25th percentile$17.76/hr$3,078$36,940$31,286
MedianMedian$21.15/hr$3,665$43,980$36,636
75th percentile$24.77/hr$4,294$51,530$42,285
90th percentile$29.19/hr$5,060$60,720$49,161

Is $43,980 a good salary in New York-Newark, NY?

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$99,155Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)112.612.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.4%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in New York-Newark, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area was $43,980 in May 2025, about $3,665 a month or $21.15 an hour. Statewide, the New Jersey median for this job is $38,880, so the metro pays 13% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

The median hourly wage for security guards in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ was $21.15 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.19.

How many security guards work in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

BLS estimated 142,760 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 15.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.82 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ run from $35,360 at the 10th percentile to $36,940 at the 25th, $51,530 at the 75th, and $60,720 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

On a median gross salary of $43,980, an estimated $36,636 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,409 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New Jersey in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,344 (an effective rate of 16.7%).

How much do security guards make per month in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

On the median annual salary of $43,980, gross monthly income is $3,665. After federal, FICA, and New Jersey state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,053 per month (or $1,409 every two weeks).

Is $43,980 a good salary in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

At $43,980, the median salary for security guards is 44.4% of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ median household income ($99,155). It is 28% below the $61,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 112.6, so prices here run 12.6% above the U.S. average.