Salinas, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Salinas, CA?

In the Salinas, CA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $38,700 a year ($18.61 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,520 of these jobs there. That is 18% below the $47,380 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,680 and $56,960; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,745 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Salinas, CA at a glance

Median salary

$38,700$18.61 per hour · $3,225 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,680$17.16/hr
25th percentile$36,960$17.77/hr
75th percentile$47,220$22.70/hr
90th percentile$56,960$27.38/hr
Jobs in this metro1,520Location quotient 0.99 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here18% belowAll-jobs median $47,380
Against California10% belowStatewide median $43,240
Against the U.S.2% 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 Salinas, CA after taxes

$38,700
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,700
Net 85%
Fed 6%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,745After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,729Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,259Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,464 / yr
California state income tax$531 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,961 / yr

Security guards pay range in Salinas, CA, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Salinas, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$17.16/hr$2,973$35,680$30,439
25th percentile$17.77/hr$3,080$36,960$31,416
MedianMedian$18.61/hr$3,225$38,700$32,745
75th percentile$22.70/hr$3,935$47,220$39,249
90th percentile$27.38/hr$4,747$56,960$46,490

Is $38,700 a good salary in Salinas, 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$97,230Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)109.09% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household39.8%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Salinas, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Salinas, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Salinas, CA metro area was $38,700 in May 2025, about $3,225 a month or $18.61 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $43,240, so the metro pays 10% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Salinas, CA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Salinas, CA was $18.61 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.16 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.38.

How many security guards work in Salinas, CA?

BLS estimated 1,520 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 8.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.99 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Salinas, CA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Salinas, CA run from $35,680 at the 10th percentile to $36,960 at the 25th, $47,220 at the 75th, and $56,960 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Salinas, CA?

On a median gross salary of $38,700, an estimated $32,745 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,259 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,955 (an effective rate of 15.4%).

How much do security guards make per month in Salinas, CA?

On the median annual salary of $38,700, gross monthly income is $3,225. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,729 per month (or $1,259 every two weeks).

Is $38,700 a good salary in Salinas, CA?

At $38,700, the median salary for security guards is 39.8% of the Salinas, CA median household income ($97,230). It is 18% below the $47,380 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 109.0, so prices here run 9% above the U.S. average.