SalaryExplorer

SOC 33-9032 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Security Guards — Abilene

Abilene, TX · 10 metro areas compared

$36,120 /year
$17.37per hour
220jobs in area
−5.0%vs US median

The median wage for Security Guards in Abilene, TX is $36,120 per year, close to the national median of $38,020 for the same occupation.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $38,02010TH$27,00025TH$30,900MEDIAN$36,12075TH$47,34090TH$53,650

How pay has moved

$45,783$22,9682019202020212022202320242025$36,120
$26,770 in 2019 to $36,120 in 2025, +34.9% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow more slowly than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+0.4%
Openings per year
161,000
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Abilene, TX.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Security Guards in Abilene, TX is $36,120 per year, close to the national median of $38,020 for the same occupation. Half of workers earn between $30,900 and $47,340. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $27,000 and the ninetieth at $53,650.

Employment stands at 220, or 3.0 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Odessa records the highest median at $38,420. Of the 287 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 233rd.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Abilene, TX · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$27,000−29.0%
25th$30,900−18.7%
Median (50th)$36,120−5.0%
75th$47,340+24.5%
90th$53,650+41.1%
Mean$39,910+5.0%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Texas

Median annual wage for Security Guards, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Odessa$38,420230
2Austin$37,9208,410
3Midland$37,500240
4Dallas$36,68034,000
5Tyler$36,170530
6Amarillo$35,520590
7Houston$35,46029,250
8Killeen$35,390730
9San Antonio$35,27011,420
10Waco$35,270650

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Abilene run 9.6% below the national average, so the median of $36,120 goes as far as $39,956 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 5.1% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$36,120as reported by BLS

Local price level

90.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$39,956US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $36,120 a year, 5.0% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $27,000 to $53,650 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 220 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Odessa, at $38,420.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Security Guards in Abilene, TX?

The median annual wage is $36,120, or $17.37 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $38,020, so pay in Abilene, TX is 5.0% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Abilene, TX earns more than $53,650 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $27,000 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Odessa, at $38,420 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 220 jobs in this occupation in Abilene, TX. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Security Guards Salary in Abilene, TX (2025): $36,120 Median | Salary Explorer