Security Guards pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,340 a year or less, while the top 10% make $62,470 or more. The middle half of security guards in San Francisco earn between $44,160 and $54,840.
- $40K10th
- $44K25th
- $46KMedian
- $55K75th
- $62K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $50,270 | $4,189 | $24.17 |
| Median | $45,730 | $3,811 | $21.99 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $44,160 | $3,680 | $21.23 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $54,840 | $4,570 | $26.37 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Security Guards salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $50,270, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $41,363 a year, or $3,447 a month and $1,591 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Francisco a good place for security guards? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $50,270 buys what about $43,481 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 22.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Security Guards salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 4th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Luis Obispo pays the most ($51,110).
- San Luis Obispo$51,110
- San Jose$51,020
- Napa$50,400
- San Francisco$50,270
- Santa Cruz$47,870
- Vallejo$46,870
- Santa Rosa$46,490
- Santa Maria$44,970
- Modesto$44,260
- Los Angeles$43,880
Highest-paying cities for security guards
Idaho Falls, ID pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($68,260).
- Idaho Falls, ID$68,260
- Fairbanks, AK$60,120
- Kennewick, WA$59,640
- Burlington, VT$55,360
- Anchorage, AK$54,540
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Security Guards salary in San Francisco: questions
How much do security guards make an hour in San Francisco?
$24.17 an hour on average, and $21.99 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level security guards salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,340 a year and the 25th percentile is $44,160, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the security guards take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $41,363 a year ($3,447 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $50,270. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do security guards earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 19% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($42,221).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 33-9032; area San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.6%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.37, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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