Reading, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Reading, PA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $38,960 a year ($18.73 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,050 of these jobs there. That is 21% below the $49,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,990 and $50,300; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,288 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Reading, PA at a glance

Median salary

$38,960$18.73 per hour · $3,247 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,990$14.42/hr
25th percentile$34,570$16.62/hr
75th percentile$43,920$21.12/hr
90th percentile$50,300$24.18/hr
Jobs in this metro1,050Location quotient 0.73 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here21% belowAll-jobs median $49,440
Against Pennsylvania5% aboveStatewide median $37,050
Against the U.S.2% aboveNational median $38,020

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Security guard salary in Reading, PA after taxes

$38,960
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,960
Net 83%
Fed 6%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,288After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,691Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,242Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,495 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$1,196 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,980 / yr

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

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

What security guards earned in the Reading, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$14.42/hr$2,499$29,990$25,356
25th percentile$16.62/hr$2,881$34,570$28,896
MedianMedian$18.73/hr$3,247$38,960$32,288
75th percentile$21.12/hr$3,660$43,920$36,121
90th percentile$24.18/hr$4,192$50,300$41,052

Is $38,960 a good salary in Reading, 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$79,777Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.12.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.8%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Reading, PA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Reading, PA metro area was $38,960 in May 2025, about $3,247 a month or $18.73 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $37,050, so the metro pays 5% above the state.

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

The median hourly wage for security guards in Reading, PA was $18.73 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.42 an hour and one in ten earned more than $24.18.

How many security guards work in Reading, PA?

BLS estimated 1,050 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 6.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.73 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Reading, PA run from $29,990 at the 10th percentile to $34,570 at the 25th, $43,920 at the 75th, and $50,300 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $38,960, an estimated $32,288 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,242 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,672 (an effective rate of 17.1%).

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

On the median annual salary of $38,960, gross monthly income is $3,247. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,691 per month (or $1,242 every two weeks).

Is $38,960 a good salary in Reading, PA?

At $38,960, the median salary for security guards is 48.8% of the Reading, PA median household income ($79,777). It is 21% below the $49,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.1, so prices here run 2.9% below the U.S. average.