Protective Service Occupations

Security Guards Salary in the United States

DOL-verified data from 45 government filings, with BLS survey comparison.

DOL Median Salary
$29,775
BLS median: $38,370
DOL Median Salary
$29,775
From 45 DOL filings
BLS Median Salary
$38,370
BLS OEWS 2024 survey
Total Employers
30
Companies with DOL filings
Total Employment
1,241,770
Estimated US workers (BLS)

DOL Filings vs BLS Survey

What Employers File with DOL

$29,775
DOL-Filed Salary Range
$17,638$23,483$29,775$35,360$120,000

This figure comes from 45 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.

What BLS Says the Market Pays

$38,370
BLS Survey Salary Range
$29,800$35,100$38,370$46,660$59,580

This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 1,241,770 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.

DOL-filed salaries are 22.4% lower than BLS survey data, which may reflect that sponsored positions concentrate in high-cost locations or experience-intensive roles.

Salary Distribution

Top Paying Employers for Security Guards

Ranked by median salary from DOL filings
RankEmployerMedian SalaryFilingsvs Market
1ADM SECURITY SERVICES LLCN/A6N/A

View all companies hiring Security Guards

Salary by State

StateMedianvs NationalFilings
Ohio$120,000+231.7%1
New York$65,000+52.3%1
California$35,360-19.5%1
Florida$33,155-8.1%3
Oklahoma$31,200-14.7%1
Illinois$30,521-21%2
Texas$28,704-14%4
Pennsylvania$22,006-41.6%3

Salary Trend - DOL Data

Education Requirements

From PERM filings

For Security Guards positions, 0% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 0% required a Master's degree, and 100% required no formal degree.

Education by Top Employer

Most common minimum education from PERM filings
EmployerMost Common EducationMedian Salary
ADM SECURITY SERVICES LLCNot specifiedN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Security Guards make?

Based on 45 DOL filings, the median salary for a Security Guards is $29,775, ranging from $23,483 to $35,360.

What is the highest salary for a Security Guards?

The 90th percentile salary is $59,580 according to BLS data.

Does this data include all Security Guards salaries or only visa-sponsored workers?

DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Security Guards positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.

Salary Check

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Source: US Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) public disclosure files (PERM Form ETA-9089 and LCA Form ETA-9035), and US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Salary figures represent employer filings and government survey estimates, not individual worker pay.