Owensboro, KY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Owensboro, KY?

In the Owensboro, KY metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $31,440 a year ($15.12 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 560 of these jobs there. That is 30% below the $44,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,980 and $49,170; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kentucky tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $26,459 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Owensboro, KY at a glance

Median salary

$31,440$15.12 per hour · $2,620 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,980$14.41/hr
25th percentile$31,440$15.12/hr
75th percentile$36,750$17.67/hr
90th percentile$49,170$23.64/hr
Jobs in this metro560Location quotient 1.38 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here30% belowAll-jobs median $44,960
Against Kentucky11% belowStatewide median $35,420
Against the U.S.17% 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 Owensboro, KY after taxes

$31,440
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$31,440
Net 84%
Fed 5%
KY 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$26,459After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,205Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,018Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,593 / yr
Kentucky state income tax$983 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,405 / yr

Security guards pay range in Owensboro, KY, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Owensboro, KY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KY)
10th percentile$14.41/hr$2,498$29,980$25,337
25th percentile$15.12/hr$2,620$31,440$26,459
MedianMedian$15.12/hr$2,620$31,440$26,459
75th percentile$17.67/hr$3,063$36,750$30,540
90th percentile$23.64/hr$4,098$49,170$40,085

Is $31,440 a good salary in Owensboro, KY?

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$68,002Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.611.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household46.2%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Owensboro, KY: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Owensboro, KY?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Owensboro, KY metro area was $31,440 in May 2025, about $2,620 a month or $15.12 an hour. Statewide, the Kentucky median for this job is $35,420, so the metro pays 11% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Owensboro, KY?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Owensboro, KY was $15.12 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.41 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.64.

How many security guards work in Owensboro, KY?

BLS estimated 560 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 11.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.38 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Owensboro, KY?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Owensboro, KY run from $29,980 at the 10th percentile to $31,440 at the 25th, $36,750 at the 75th, and $49,170 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Owensboro, KY?

On a median gross salary of $31,440, an estimated $26,459 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,018 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kentucky in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,981 (an effective rate of 15.8%).

How much do security guards make per month in Owensboro, KY?

On the median annual salary of $31,440, gross monthly income is $2,620. After federal, FICA, and Kentucky state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,205 per month (or $1,018 every two weeks).

Is $31,440 a good salary in Owensboro, KY?

At $31,440, the median salary for security guards is 46.2% of the Owensboro, KY median household income ($68,002). It is 30% below the $44,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.6, so prices here run 11.4% below the U.S. average.