Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Portland-Vancouver, OR?

In the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $46,820 a year ($22.51 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 9,110 of these jobs there. That is 23% below the $60,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $38,360 and $60,020; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Oregon tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,818 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Portland-Vancouver, OR at a glance

Median salary

$46,820$22.51 per hour · $3,902 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$38,360$18.44/hr
25th percentile$43,610$20.97/hr
75th percentile$49,070$23.59/hr
90th percentile$60,020$28.85/hr
Jobs in this metro9,110Location quotient 0.91 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here23% belowAll-jobs median $60,690
Against Oregon3% aboveStatewide median $45,500
Against the U.S.23% 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 Portland-Vancouver, OR after taxes

$46,820
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$46,820
Net 79%
Fed 7%
OR 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,818After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,068Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,416Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate21.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,438 / yr
Oregon state income tax$2,982 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,582 / yr

Security guards pay range in Portland-Vancouver, OR, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (OR)
10th percentile$18.44/hr$3,197$38,360$30,672
25th percentile$20.97/hr$3,634$43,610$34,486
MedianMedian$22.51/hr$3,902$46,820$36,818
75th percentile$23.59/hr$4,089$49,070$38,453
90th percentile$28.85/hr$5,002$60,020$46,408

Is $46,820 a good salary in Portland-Vancouver, OR?

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$97,436Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)105.45.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.1%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Portland-Vancouver, OR: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area was $46,820 in May 2025, about $3,902 a month or $22.51 an hour. Statewide, the Oregon median for this job is $45,500, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA was $22.51 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.44 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.85.

How many security guards work in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

BLS estimated 9,110 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 7.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.91 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA run from $38,360 at the 10th percentile to $43,610 at the 25th, $49,070 at the 75th, and $60,020 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

On a median gross salary of $46,820, an estimated $36,818 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,416 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Oregon in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $10,002 (an effective rate of 21.4%).

How much do security guards make per month in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

On the median annual salary of $46,820, gross monthly income is $3,902. After federal, FICA, and Oregon state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,068 per month (or $1,416 every two weeks).

Is $46,820 a good salary in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

At $46,820, the median salary for security guards is 48.1% of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA median household income ($97,436). It is 23% below the $60,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 105.4, so prices here run 5.4% above the U.S. average.