Security Guards pay range in Durham
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,450 a year or less, while the top 10% make $59,110 or more. The middle half of security guards in Durham earn between $30,160 and $44,910.
- $29K10th
- $30K25th
- $39KMedian
- $45K75th
- $59K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $40,650 | $3,388 | $19.54 |
| Median | $38,530 | $3,211 | $18.52 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $30,160 | $2,513 | $14.50 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $44,910 | $3,742 | $21.59 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Security Guards salary after taxes in Durham
On the average salary of $40,650, a single filer in Durham takes home about $33,729 a year, or $2,811 a month and $1,297 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).
Is Durham a good place for security guards? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Durham area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.6), so the average $40,650 buys what about $41,662 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Durham ($60,720). A typical home costs $414,340, or 10.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Security Guards salary in other North Carolina cities
Durham ranks 7th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Fayetteville pays the most ($43,580).
- Fayetteville$43,580
- Wilmington$42,750
- Greenville$42,040
- Winston-Salem$41,090
- Raleigh$40,750
- Rocky Mount$40,680
- Durham$40,650
- Asheville$39,820
- Charlotte$38,340
- Burlington$36,920
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 Durham: questions
How much do security guards make an hour in Durham?
$19.54 an hour on average, and $18.53 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level security guards salary in Durham?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,450 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,160, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the security guards take-home pay in Durham?
About $33,729 a year ($2,811 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $40,650.
Do security guards earn more in Durham than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (20500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.6%.
- 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 (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.55, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.55).
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