Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Seattle-Tacoma, WA?

In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $47,490 a year ($22.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 17,030 of these jobs there. That is 35% below the $72,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $38,990 and $68,040; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Washington tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $40,338 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Seattle-Tacoma, WA at a glance

Median salary

$47,490$22.83 per hour · $3,958 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$38,990$18.74/hr
25th percentile$44,460$21.37/hr
75th percentile$57,990$27.88/hr
90th percentile$68,040$32.71/hr
Jobs in this metro17,030Location quotient 0.99 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here35% belowAll-jobs median $72,610
Against Washington1% aboveStatewide median $47,100
Against the U.S.25% 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 Seattle-Tacoma, WA after taxes

$47,490
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,490
Net 85%
Fed 7%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$40,338After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,362Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,551Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,519 / yr
Washington state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,633 / yr

Security guards pay range in Seattle-Tacoma, WA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WA)
10th percentile$18.74/hr$3,249$38,990$33,508
25th percentile$21.37/hr$3,705$44,460$37,904
MedianMedian$22.83/hr$3,958$47,490$40,338
75th percentile$27.88/hr$4,833$57,990$48,775
90th percentile$32.71/hr$5,670$68,040$56,696

Is $47,490 a good salary in Seattle-Tacoma, WA?

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$115,177Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)111.111.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.2%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Seattle-Tacoma, WA: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area was $47,490 in May 2025, about $3,958 a month or $22.83 an hour. Statewide, the Washington median for this job is $47,100, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA was $22.83 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.74 an hour and one in ten earned more than $32.71.

How many security guards work in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

BLS estimated 17,030 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA run from $38,990 at the 10th percentile to $44,460 at the 25th, $57,990 at the 75th, and $68,040 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

On a median gross salary of $47,490, an estimated $40,338 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,551 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Washington in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,152 (an effective rate of 15.1%).

How much do security guards make per month in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

On the median annual salary of $47,490, gross monthly income is $3,958. After federal, FICA, and Washington state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,362 per month (or $1,551 every two weeks).

Is $47,490 a good salary in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

At $47,490, the median salary for security guards is 41.2% of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA median household income ($115,177). It is 35% below the $72,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 111.1, so prices here run 11.1% above the U.S. average.