Rapid City, SD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Rapid City, SD?

In the Rapid City, SD metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $37,150 a year ($17.86 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 240 of these jobs there. That is 20% below the $46,270 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,750 and $62,770; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Dakota tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,030 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Rapid City, SD at a glance

Median salary

$37,150$17.86 per hour · $3,096 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,750$14.78/hr
25th percentile$34,480$16.58/hr
75th percentile$45,060$21.66/hr
90th percentile$62,770$30.18/hr
Jobs in this metro240Location quotient 0.39 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here20% belowAll-jobs median $46,270
Against South Dakotaabout the same asStatewide median $37,150
Against the U.S.2% 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 Rapid City, SD after taxes

$37,150
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,150
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,030After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,669Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,232Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,278 / yr
South Dakota state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,842 / yr

Security guards pay range in Rapid City, SD, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Rapid City, SD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SD)
10th percentile$14.78/hr$2,563$30,750$26,888
25th percentile$16.58/hr$2,873$34,480$29,885
MedianMedian$17.86/hr$3,096$37,150$32,030
75th percentile$21.66/hr$3,755$45,060$38,386
90th percentile$30.18/hr$5,231$62,770$52,616

Is $37,150 a good salary in Rapid City, SD?

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$75,255Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.210.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household49.4%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Rapid City, SD: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Rapid City, SD?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Rapid City, SD metro area was $37,150 in May 2025, about $3,096 a month or $17.86 an hour. Statewide, the South Dakota median for this job is $37,150, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Rapid City, SD?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Rapid City, SD was $17.86 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.78 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.18.

How many security guards work in Rapid City, SD?

BLS estimated 240 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 3.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.39 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Rapid City, SD?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Rapid City, SD run from $30,750 at the 10th percentile to $34,480 at the 25th, $45,060 at the 75th, and $62,770 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Rapid City, SD?

On a median gross salary of $37,150, an estimated $32,030 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,232 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Dakota in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,120 (an effective rate of 13.8%).

How much do security guards make per month in Rapid City, SD?

On the median annual salary of $37,150, gross monthly income is $3,096. After federal, FICA, and South Dakota state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,669 per month (or $1,232 every two weeks).

Is $37,150 a good salary in Rapid City, SD?

At $37,150, the median salary for security guards is 49.4% of the Rapid City, SD median household income ($75,255). It is 20% below the $46,270 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.2, so prices here run 10.8% below the U.S. average.