SOC 33-9032 · Missoula, MT metro

Security Guards Salary in Missoula, MT

The average salary for security guards in Missoula, Montana is $37,790 a year ($18.17 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $36,750: half of the 220 people in this job in the Missoula, MT metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($42,221).

$37,790average per year

$18.17 / hourMedian $36,750Take-home ≈ $31,525

  • $29K10th
  • $34K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $40K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

220people in this job
-10%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 5Montana metros
96cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Security Guards pay range in Missoula

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,570 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,430 or more. The middle half of security guards in Missoula earn between $34,430 and $40,000.

  • $29K10th
  • $34K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $40K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$37,790$3,149$18.17
Median$36,750$3,062$17.67
Entry level (25th percentile)$34,430$2,869$16.55
Experienced (75th percentile)$40,000$3,333$19.23

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Security Guards salary after taxes in Missoula

On the average salary of $37,790, a single filer in Missoula takes home about $31,525 a year, or $2,627 a month and $1,212 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Advertisement

Is Missoula a good place for security guards? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Missoula area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 96.4), so the average $37,790 buys what about $39,183 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Missoula ($47,830). A typical home costs $580,429, or 15.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $37,790 is worth in another city

Security Guards salary in other Montana cities

Missoula ranks 5th of 5 Montana metro areas for this job; Bozeman pays the most ($43,200).

All Security Guards salaries in Montana

Highest-paying cities for security guards

Idaho Falls, ID pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($68,260).

Security Guards salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Security Guards in Missoula, MT.

Security Guards salary in Missoula: questions

How much do security guards make an hour in Missoula?

$18.17 an hour on average, and $17.67 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level security guards salary in Missoula?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,570 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,430, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the security guards take-home pay in Missoula?

About $31,525 a year ($2,627 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $37,790.

Do security guards earn more in Missoula than elsewhere?

The average here is 10% 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 Missoula, MT (33540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.0%.
  • 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 (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.41, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.41).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.