Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Santa Maria, CA?

In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $43,250 a year ($20.79 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 800 of these jobs there. That is 16% below the $51,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,990 and $58,300; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,219 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Santa Maria, CA at a glance

Median salary

$43,250$20.79 per hour · $3,604 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,990$16.82/hr
25th percentile$36,650$17.62/hr
75th percentile$48,080$23.12/hr
90th percentile$58,300$28.03/hr
Jobs in this metro800Location quotient 0.48 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here16% belowAll-jobs median $51,690
Against Californiaabout the same asStatewide median $43,240
Against the U.S.14% 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 Santa Maria, CA after taxes

$43,250
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$43,250
Net 84%
Fed 7%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,219After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,018Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,393Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,010 / yr
California state income tax$713 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,309 / yr

Security guards pay range in Santa Maria, CA, hourly and yearly

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

What security guards earned in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$16.82/hr$2,916$34,990$29,912
25th percentile$17.62/hr$3,054$36,650$31,180
MedianMedian$20.79/hr$3,604$43,250$36,219
75th percentile$23.12/hr$4,007$48,080$39,888
90th percentile$28.03/hr$4,858$58,300$47,487

Is $43,250 a good salary in Santa Maria, 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$98,161Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)108.88.8% 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 Santa Maria, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area was $43,250 in May 2025, about $3,604 a month or $20.79 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $43,240, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA was $20.79 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.82 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.03.

How many security guards work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS estimated 800 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 4.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.48 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA run from $34,990 at the 10th percentile to $36,650 at the 25th, $48,080 at the 75th, and $58,300 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

On a median gross salary of $43,250, an estimated $36,219 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,393 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,031 (an effective rate of 16.3%).

How much do security guards make per month in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

On the median annual salary of $43,250, gross monthly income is $3,604. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,018 per month (or $1,393 every two weeks).

Is $43,250 a good salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

At $43,250, the median salary for security guards is 44.1% of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA median household income ($98,161). It is 16% below the $51,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.8, so prices here run 8.8% above the U.S. average.