SOC 33-9032 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Security Guards — Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage here is $37,050 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $38,020.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
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 Pennsylvania.
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 here is $37,050 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $38,020. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $34,570 and $44,300. The lowest tenth earn under $30,050, while the highest tenth earn more than $54,830.
The area has 43,610 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.87 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Pennsylvania ranks number 34th out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Chambersburg records the highest median at $42,130. Of the 778 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 697th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $30,050 | −21.0% |
| 25th | $34,570 | −9.1% |
| Median (50th) | $37,050 | −2.6% |
| 75th | $44,300 | +16.5% |
| 90th | $54,830 | +44.2% |
| Mean | $40,180 | +5.7% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Pennsylvania
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chambersburg | $42,130 | 210 | |
| 2 | Gettysburg | $39,500 | 130 | |
| 3 | Reading | $38,960 | 1,050 | |
| 4 | Lancaster | $38,090 | 880 | |
| 5 | Harrisburg | $37,880 | 2,320 | |
| 6 | Lebanon | $37,470 | 130 | |
| 7 | Philadelphia | $37,450 | 25,460 | |
| 8 | Allentown | $36,020 | 2,570 | |
| 9 | Altoona | $35,900 | 230 | |
| 10 | Pittsburgh | $35,850 | 9,250 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Pennsylvania run 2.4% below the national average, so the median of $37,050 goes as far as $37,961 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 0.2% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$37,050as reported by BLSLocal price level
97.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$37,961US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $37,050 a year, 2.6% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $30,050 to $54,830 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 43,610 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 34th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Chambersburg, at $42,130.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Security Guards in Pennsylvania?
The median annual wage is $37,050, or $17.81 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 Pennsylvania is 2.6% 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 Pennsylvania earns more than $54,830 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $30,050 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 Chambersburg, at $42,130 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 43,610 jobs in this occupation in Pennsylvania. 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.
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