Pittsburgh, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Pittsburgh, PA?

In the Pittsburgh, PA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $35,850 a year ($17.23 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 9,250 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $49,650 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,690 and $55,410; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,885 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Pittsburgh, PA at a glance

Median salary

$35,850$17.23 per hour · $2,988 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,690$14.27/hr
25th percentile$34,580$16.62/hr
75th percentile$43,650$20.99/hr
90th percentile$55,410$26.64/hr
Jobs in this metro9,250Location quotient 1.01 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $49,650
Against Pennsylvania3% belowStatewide median $37,050
Against the U.S.6% 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 Pittsburgh, PA after taxes

$35,850
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,850
Net 83%
Fed 6%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,885After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,490Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,149Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,122 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$1,101 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,743 / yr

Security guards pay range in Pittsburgh, PA, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Pittsburgh, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$14.27/hr$2,474$29,690$25,124
25th percentile$16.62/hr$2,882$34,580$28,903
MedianMedian$17.23/hr$2,988$35,850$29,885
75th percentile$20.99/hr$3,638$43,650$35,913
90th percentile$26.64/hr$4,618$55,410$45,001

Is $35,850 a good salary in Pittsburgh, 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$75,762Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)94.75.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.3%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Pittsburgh, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Pittsburgh, PA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Pittsburgh, PA metro area was $35,850 in May 2025, about $2,988 a month or $17.23 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $37,050, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Pittsburgh, PA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Pittsburgh, PA was $17.23 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.27 an hour and one in ten earned more than $26.64.

How many security guards work in Pittsburgh, PA?

BLS estimated 9,250 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 8.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.01 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Pittsburgh, PA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Pittsburgh, PA run from $29,690 at the 10th percentile to $34,580 at the 25th, $43,650 at the 75th, and $55,410 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Pittsburgh, PA?

On a median gross salary of $35,850, an estimated $29,885 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,149 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,965 (an effective rate of 16.6%).

How much do security guards make per month in Pittsburgh, PA?

On the median annual salary of $35,850, gross monthly income is $2,988. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,490 per month (or $1,149 every two weeks).

Is $35,850 a good salary in Pittsburgh, PA?

At $35,850, the median salary for security guards is 47.3% of the Pittsburgh, PA median household income ($75,762). It is 28% below the $49,650 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 94.7, so prices here run 5.3% below the U.S. average.