Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA?

In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $37,280 a year ($17.92 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 22,010 of these jobs there. That is 23% below the $48,400 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,430 and $56,120; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,661 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA at a glance

Median salary

$37,280$17.92 per hour · $3,107 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,430$17.04/hr
25th percentile$35,960$17.29/hr
75th percentile$44,940$21.61/hr
90th percentile$56,120$26.98/hr
Jobs in this metro22,010Location quotient 1.55 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here23% belowAll-jobs median $48,400
Against California14% belowStatewide median $43,240
Against the U.S.2% belowNational 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 Riverside-San Bernardino, CA after taxes

$37,280
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,280
Net 85%
Fed 6%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,661After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,638Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,218Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,294 / yr
California state income tax$474 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,852 / yr

Security guards pay range in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$17.04/hr$2,953$35,430$30,248
25th percentile$17.29/hr$2,997$35,960$30,653
MedianMedian$17.92/hr$3,107$37,280$31,661
75th percentile$21.61/hr$3,745$44,940$37,509
90th percentile$26.98/hr$4,677$56,120$45,866

Is $37,280 a good salary in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA?

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$89,662Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)106.46.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.6%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area was $37,280 in May 2025, about $3,107 a month or $17.92 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $43,240, so the metro pays 14% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA was $17.92 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.04 an hour and one in ten earned more than $26.98.

How many security guards work in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

BLS estimated 22,010 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 12.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.55 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA run from $35,430 at the 10th percentile to $35,960 at the 25th, $44,940 at the 75th, and $56,120 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

On a median gross salary of $37,280, an estimated $31,661 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,218 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,619 (an effective rate of 15.1%).

How much do security guards make per month in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

On the median annual salary of $37,280, gross monthly income is $3,107. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,638 per month (or $1,218 every two weeks).

Is $37,280 a good salary in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?

At $37,280, the median salary for security guards is 41.6% of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA median household income ($89,662). It is 23% below the $48,400 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 106.4, so prices here run 6.4% above the U.S. average.