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Security Guards in California

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Security Guards in California

Is California a good place for you to work as a Security Guard?

10.3% Jobs Projection
$29,660 Median Salary
21,950 Job Openings

You’re in luck! Jobs for Security Guards in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

  • Projected employment for Security Guards in California is growing faster than average.

  • Security Guards in California earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

How Many Security Guards Work in California?

In 2018, there were 155,540 Security Guards working in the state.

There were 151,110 Security Guards employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 4,430 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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The typical state has 11,470 Security Guards working in it, which means California has more Security Guards than average.

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Job Projections for California

Jobs for Security Guards in this state are growing at a rate of 10.3% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 6.3%.

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California Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 21,950 annual job openings, and a total of 164,900 jobs for California Security Guards in 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 157,500 annual jobs and 1,193,900 total jobs in 2026.

What do Security Guards Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Security Guards ranged from $23,410 to $47,240 with $29,660 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $11.26 to $22.71. The median hourly rate was $14.26.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $13.32 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.94.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top California Metros for Security Guards

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Security Guards.

Metro Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 69,830 $29,480
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 18,890 $34,660
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 17,040 $26,920
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 13,200 $29,070
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 9,740 $35,080
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA 8,040 $27,490
Fresno, CA 2,350 $25,810
Stockton-Lodi, CA 2,090 $27,100
Bakersfield, CA 1,510 $24,730
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 1,460 $27,890
Modesto, CA 1,220 $25,190
Salinas, CA 1,160 $30,130
Santa Rosa, CA 1,050 $30,510
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 790 $27,110
Napa, CA 750 $30,030
El Centro, CA 680 $24,520
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 540 $36,230
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 540 $28,800
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 450 $28,390
Visalia-Porterville, CA 430 $24,570
Redding, CA 350 $29,420
Merced, CA 300 $27,150
Yuba City, CA 280 $24,430
Chico, CA 270 $27,550
Madera, CA 170 n/a
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 120 $29,520

Top States for Security Guards Employment

The table below shows the states where most Security Guards work.

State Number Employed Annual Median Salary
California 155,540 $29,660
New York 118,760 $32,020
Texas 88,250 $26,010
Florida 85,690 $24,380
Illinois 47,460 $29,920
Pennsylvania 42,900 $26,760
New Jersey 39,000 $29,970
Ohio 33,040 $26,200
Virginia 30,190 $32,740
Georgia 29,510 $26,300
Maryland 26,930 $32,420
Michigan 26,110 $24,420
North Carolina 25,890 $26,720
Tennessee 23,850 $23,970
Arizona 22,790 $26,320
Nevada 21,810 $28,720
Massachusetts 20,820 $32,400
Washington 18,130 $34,900
Indiana 17,960 $24,670
Louisiana 17,370 $24,730

Below are the states where Security Guards get paid the most:

State Annual Median Salary
Alaska $42,240
District of Columbia $40,810
Washington $34,900
North Dakota $33,910
Hawaii $32,770
Virginia $32,740
New Hampshire $32,680
Maryland $32,420
Massachusetts $32,400
Missouri $32,060

Discover similar careers:

Occupation CA Employment Total

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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