Security Guards pay range in Rochester
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,980 a year or less, while the top 10% make $60,790 or more. The middle half of security guards in Rochester earn between $36,960 and $49,230.
- $35K10th
- $37K25th
- $43KMedian
- $49K75th
- $61K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $45,260 | $3,772 | $21.76 |
| Median | $42,860 | $3,572 | $20.61 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $36,960 | $3,080 | $17.77 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $49,230 | $4,102 | $23.67 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Security Guards salary after taxes in Rochester
On the average salary of $45,260, a single filer in Rochester takes home about $36,662 a year, or $3,055 a month and $1,410 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Is Rochester a good place for security guards? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Rochester area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.0), so the average $45,260 buys what about $46,643 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Rochester ($51,210). A typical home costs $285,034, or 6.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Security Guards salary in other New York cities
Rochester ranks 7th of 13 New York metro areas for this job; Ithaca pays the most ($49,800).
- Ithaca$49,800
- Syracuse$47,920
- Kingston$46,720
- Utica$46,600
- Elmira$46,400
- New York$46,140
- Rochester$45,260
- Albany$45,220
- Kiryas Joel$45,150
- Binghamton$44,010
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 Rochester: questions
How much do security guards make an hour in Rochester?
$21.76 an hour on average, and $20.61 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level security guards salary in Rochester?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,980 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,960, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the security guards take-home pay in Rochester?
About $36,662 a year ($3,055 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $45,260. New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Do security guards earn more in Rochester than elsewhere?
The average here is 7% 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 Rochester, NY (40380). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
- 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). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.81, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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