Security Guards pay range in Lake Charles
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,620 a year or less, while the top 10% make $48,530 or more. The middle half of security guards in Lake Charles earn between $28,700 and $34,910.
- $22K10th
- $29K25th
- $30KMedian
- $35K75th
- $49K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $33,780 | $2,815 | $16.24 |
| Median | $29,740 | $2,478 | $14.30 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $28,700 | $2,392 | $13.80 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $34,910 | $2,909 | $16.78 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Security Guards salary after taxes in Lake Charles
On the average salary of $33,780, a single filer in Lake Charles takes home about $28,695 a year, or $2,391 a month and $1,104 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Lake Charles a good place for security guards? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Lake Charles area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.9), so the average $33,780 buys what about $39,347 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Lake Charles ($45,700). A typical home costs $202,237, or 6.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Security Guards salary in other Louisiana cities
Lake Charles ranks 7th of 9 Louisiana metro areas for this job; Slidell pays the most ($40,080).
- Slidell$40,080
- Baton Rouge$39,690
- New Orleans$36,440
- Shreveport$35,560
- Alexandria$35,000
- Lafayette$34,400
- Lake Charles$33,780
- Hammond$31,430
- Houma$30,820
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 Lake Charles: questions
How much do security guards make an hour in Lake Charles?
$16.24 an hour on average, and $14.30 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level security guards salary in Lake Charles?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,620 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,700, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the security guards take-home pay in Lake Charles?
About $28,695 a year ($2,391 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $33,780.
Do security guards earn more in Lake Charles than elsewhere?
The average here is 20% less 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 Lake Charles, LA (29340). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.5%.
- 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 (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.03, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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