Rochester, NY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Rochester, NY?

In the Rochester, NY metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $42,860 a year ($20.61 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,300 of these jobs there. That is 16% below the $51,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,980 and $60,790; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New York tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $34,900 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Rochester, NY at a glance

Median salary

$42,860$20.61 per hour · $3,572 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,980$16.82/hr
25th percentile$36,960$17.77/hr
75th percentile$49,230$23.67/hr
90th percentile$60,790$29.23/hr
Jobs in this metro3,300Location quotient 0.81 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here16% belowAll-jobs median $51,210
Against New York3% belowStatewide median $44,240
Against the U.S.13% 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 Rochester, NY after taxes

$42,860
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$42,860
Net 81%
Fed 7%
NY 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$34,900After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,908Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,342Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,963 / yr
New York state income tax$1,718 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,279 / yr

Security guards pay range in Rochester, NY, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Rochester, NY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NY)
10th percentile$16.82/hr$2,915$34,980$28,994
25th percentile$17.77/hr$3,080$36,960$30,478
MedianMedian$20.61/hr$3,572$42,860$34,900
75th percentile$23.67/hr$4,103$49,230$39,674
90th percentile$29.23/hr$5,066$60,790$48,339

Is $42,860 a good salary in Rochester, NY?

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$76,284Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.03% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household56.2%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Rochester, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Rochester, NY?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Rochester, NY metro area was $42,860 in May 2025, about $3,572 a month or $20.61 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $44,240, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Rochester, NY?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Rochester, NY was $20.61 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.82 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.23.

How many security guards work in Rochester, NY?

BLS estimated 3,300 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 6.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.81 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Rochester, NY?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Rochester, NY run from $34,980 at the 10th percentile to $36,960 at the 25th, $49,230 at the 75th, and $60,790 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Rochester, NY?

On a median gross salary of $42,860, an estimated $34,900 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,342 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,960 (an effective rate of 18.6%).

How much do security guards make per month in Rochester, NY?

On the median annual salary of $42,860, gross monthly income is $3,572. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,908 per month (or $1,342 every two weeks).

Is $42,860 a good salary in Rochester, NY?

At $42,860, the median salary for security guards is 56.2% of the Rochester, NY median household income ($76,284). It is 16% below the $51,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.0, so prices here run 3% below the U.S. average.