Security Guards pay range in San Luis Obispo
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,940 a year or less, while the top 10% make $99,180 or more. The middle half of security guards in San Luis Obispo earn between $36,950 and $55,180.
- $36K10th
- $37K25th
- $43KMedian
- $55K75th
- $99K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $51,110 | $4,259 | $24.57 |
| Median | $42,980 | $3,582 | $20.66 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $36,950 | $3,079 | $17.76 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $55,180 | $4,598 | $26.53 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Security Guards salary after taxes in San Luis Obispo
On the average salary of $51,110, a single filer in San Luis Obispo takes home about $41,988 a year, or $3,499 a month and $1,615 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 Luis Obispo a good place for security guards? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Luis Obispo area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.6), so the average $51,110 buys what about $47,064 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in San Luis Obispo ($50,770). A typical home costs $909,699, or 17.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Security Guards salary in other California cities
San Luis Obispo ranks 1st of 25 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- 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 Luis Obispo: questions
How much do security guards make an hour in San Luis Obispo?
$24.57 an hour on average, and $20.67 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level security guards salary in San Luis Obispo?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,940 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,950, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the security guards take-home pay in San Luis Obispo?
About $41,988 a year ($3,499 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $51,110. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do security guards earn more in San Luis Obispo than elsewhere?
The average here is 21% 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 Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA (42020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
- 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 0.52, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.52).
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