San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in San Luis Obispo, CA?

In the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $42,980 a year ($20.67 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 530 of these jobs there. That is 15% below the $50,770 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,940 and $99,180; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,013 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in San Luis Obispo, CA at a glance

Median salary

$42,980$20.67 per hour · $3,582 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,940$17.28/hr
25th percentile$36,950$17.76/hr
75th percentile$55,180$26.53/hr
90th percentile$99,180$47.69/hr
Jobs in this metro530Location quotient 0.52 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here15% belowAll-jobs median $50,770
Against California1% belowStatewide median $43,240
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 San Luis Obispo, CA after taxes

$42,980
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$42,980
Net 84%
Fed 7%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,013After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,001Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,385Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,978 / yr
California state income tax$702 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,288 / yr

Security guards pay range in San Luis Obispo, CA, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$17.28/hr$2,995$35,940$30,638
25th percentile$17.76/hr$3,079$36,950$31,409
MedianMedian$20.67/hr$3,582$42,980$36,013
75th percentile$26.53/hr$4,598$55,180$45,167
90th percentile$47.69/hr$8,265$99,180$73,624

Is $42,980 a good salary in San Luis Obispo, 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$97,446Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)108.68.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.1%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in San Luis Obispo, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area was $42,980 in May 2025, about $3,582 a month or $20.67 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $43,240, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA was $20.67 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.28 an hour and one in ten earned more than $47.69.

How many security guards work in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

BLS estimated 530 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 4.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.52 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA run from $35,940 at the 10th percentile to $36,950 at the 25th, $55,180 at the 75th, and $99,180 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

On a median gross salary of $42,980, an estimated $36,013 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,385 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,967 (an effective rate of 16.2%).

How much do security guards make per month in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

On the median annual salary of $42,980, gross monthly income is $3,582. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,001 per month (or $1,385 every two weeks).

Is $42,980 a good salary in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

At $42,980, the median salary for security guards is 44.1% of the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA median household income ($97,446). It is 15% below the $50,770 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.6, so prices here run 8.6% above the U.S. average.