Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL?

In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $36,010 a year ($17.31 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 12,200 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $48,940 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,800 and $47,700; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Florida tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,114 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL at a glance

Median salary

$36,010$17.31 per hour · $3,001 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,800$13.84/hr
25th percentile$33,510$16.11/hr
75th percentile$42,410$20.39/hr
90th percentile$47,700$22.93/hr
Jobs in this metro12,200Location quotient 1.02 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $48,940
Against Floridaabout the same asStatewide median $35,900
Against the U.S.5% belowNational 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL after taxes

$36,010
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,010
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,114After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,593Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,197Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,141 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,755 / yr

Security guards pay range in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (FL)
10th percentile$13.84/hr$2,400$28,800$25,321
25th percentile$16.11/hr$2,793$33,510$29,105
MedianMedian$17.31/hr$3,001$36,010$31,114
75th percentile$20.39/hr$3,534$42,410$36,256
90th percentile$22.93/hr$3,975$47,700$40,507

Is $36,010 a good salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL?

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$74,392Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.90.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.4%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area was $36,010 in May 2025, about $3,001 a month or $17.31 an hour. Statewide, the Florida median for this job is $35,900, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL was $17.31 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.84 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.93.

How many security guards work in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

BLS estimated 12,200 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 8.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.02 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL run from $28,800 at the 10th percentile to $33,510 at the 25th, $42,410 at the 75th, and $47,700 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

On a median gross salary of $36,010, an estimated $31,114 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,197 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,896 (an effective rate of 13.6%).

How much do security guards make per month in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

On the median annual salary of $36,010, gross monthly income is $3,001. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,593 per month (or $1,197 every two weeks).

Is $36,010 a good salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

At $36,010, the median salary for security guards is 48.4% of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL median household income ($74,392). It is 26% below the $48,940 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.9, so prices here run 0.9% above the U.S. average.