Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

In the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $42,680 a year ($20.52 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 200 of these jobs there. That is 10% below the $47,600 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,240 and $54,950; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New York tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $34,765 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY at a glance

Median salary

$42,680$20.52 per hour · $3,557 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,240$15.50/hr
25th percentile$34,830$16.75/hr
75th percentile$49,440$23.77/hr
90th percentile$54,950$26.42/hr
Jobs in this metro200Location quotient 0.62 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here10% belowAll-jobs median $47,600
Against New York4% belowStatewide median $44,240
Against the U.S.12% 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY after taxes

$42,680
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$42,680
Net 81%
Fed 7%
NY 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$34,765After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,897Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,337Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,942 / yr
New York state income tax$1,708 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,265 / yr

Security guards pay range in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NY)
10th percentile$15.50/hr$2,687$32,240$26,940
25th percentile$16.75/hr$2,903$34,830$28,882
MedianMedian$20.52/hr$3,557$42,680$34,765
75th percentile$23.77/hr$4,120$49,440$39,832
90th percentile$26.42/hr$4,579$54,950$43,962

Is $42,680 a good salary in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

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$66,301Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)87.712.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household64.4%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area was $42,680 in May 2025, about $3,557 a month or $20.52 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $44,240, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY was $20.52 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $26.42.

How many security guards work in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

BLS estimated 200 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 5.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.62 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY run from $32,240 at the 10th percentile to $34,830 at the 25th, $49,440 at the 75th, and $54,950 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

On a median gross salary of $42,680, an estimated $34,765 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,337 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,915 (an effective rate of 18.5%).

How much do security guards make per month in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

On the median annual salary of $42,680, gross monthly income is $3,557. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,897 per month (or $1,337 every two weeks).

Is $42,680 a good salary in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

At $42,680, the median salary for security guards is 64.4% of the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY median household income ($66,301). It is 10% below the $47,600 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.7, so prices here run 12.3% below the U.S. average.