Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $37,450 a year ($18.00 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 25,460 of these jobs there. That is 31% below the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,330 and $57,970; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Delaware tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,869 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Philadelphia-Camden, PA at a glance

Median salary

$37,450$18.00 per hour · $3,121 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,330$15.06/hr
25th percentile$35,990$17.30/hr
75th percentile$45,640$21.94/hr
90th percentile$57,970$27.87/hr
Jobs in this metro25,460Location quotient 1.06 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here31% belowAll-jobs median $54,310
Against Delaware3% aboveStatewide median $36,360
Against the U.S.1% 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 Philadelphia-Camden, PA after taxes

$37,450
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,450
Net 82%
Fed 6%
DE 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,869After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,572Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,187Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,314 / yr
Delaware state income tax$1,402 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,865 / yr

Security guards pay range in Philadelphia-Camden, PA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DE)
10th percentile$15.06/hr$2,611$31,330$26,292
25th percentile$17.30/hr$2,999$35,990$29,777
MedianMedian$18.00/hr$3,121$37,450$30,869
75th percentile$21.94/hr$3,803$45,640$36,996
90th percentile$27.87/hr$4,831$57,970$46,218

Is $37,450 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

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$91,289Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)102.62.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household41%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Philadelphia-Camden, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area was $37,450 in May 2025, about $3,121 a month or $18.00 an hour. Statewide, the Delaware median for this job is $36,360, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD was $18.00 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.06 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.87.

How many security guards work in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS estimated 25,460 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 8.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.06 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD run from $31,330 at the 10th percentile to $35,990 at the 25th, $45,640 at the 75th, and $57,970 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On a median gross salary of $37,450, an estimated $30,869 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,187 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Delaware in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,581 (an effective rate of 17.6%).

How much do security guards make per month in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On the median annual salary of $37,450, gross monthly income is $3,121. After federal, FICA, and Delaware state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,572 per month (or $1,187 every two weeks).

Is $37,450 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

At $37,450, the median salary for security guards is 41% of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median household income ($91,289). It is 31% below the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 102.6, so prices here run 2.6% above the U.S. average.