Richmond, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Richmond, VA?

In the Richmond, VA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $36,960 a year ($17.77 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,630 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $51,460 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,790 and $61,990; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,566 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Richmond, VA at a glance

Median salary

$36,960$17.77 per hour · $3,080 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,790$14.80/hr
25th percentile$35,210$16.93/hr
75th percentile$46,040$22.14/hr
90th percentile$61,990$29.81/hr
Jobs in this metro4,630Location quotient 0.85 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $51,460
Against Virginia15% belowStatewide median $43,640
Against the U.S.3% 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 Richmond, VA after taxes

$36,960
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,960
Net 83%
Fed 6%
VA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,566After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,547Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,176Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,255 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,311 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,827 / yr

Security guards pay range in Richmond, VA, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Richmond, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$14.80/hr$2,566$30,790$25,963
25th percentile$16.93/hr$2,934$35,210$29,261
MedianMedian$17.77/hr$3,080$36,960$30,566
75th percentile$22.14/hr$3,837$46,040$37,340
90th percentile$29.81/hr$5,166$61,990$49,239

Is $36,960 a good salary in Richmond, VA?

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$86,679Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.92.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household42.6%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Richmond, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Richmond, VA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Richmond, VA metro area was $36,960 in May 2025, about $3,080 a month or $17.77 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $43,640, so the metro pays 15% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Richmond, VA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Richmond, VA was $17.77 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.80 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.81.

How many security guards work in Richmond, VA?

BLS estimated 4,630 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 7.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.85 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Richmond, VA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Richmond, VA run from $30,790 at the 10th percentile to $35,210 at the 25th, $46,040 at the 75th, and $61,990 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Richmond, VA?

On a median gross salary of $36,960, an estimated $30,566 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,176 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,394 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

How much do security guards make per month in Richmond, VA?

On the median annual salary of $36,960, gross monthly income is $3,080. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,547 per month (or $1,176 every two weeks).

Is $36,960 a good salary in Richmond, VA?

At $36,960, the median salary for security guards is 42.6% of the Richmond, VA median household income ($86,679). It is 28% below the $51,460 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.9, so prices here run 2.1% below the U.S. average.