Security Guards Salary — Reading, Pennsylvania

The average Security Guards in Reading, Pennsylvania earns $39,680 a year.

$39,680 / year, mean
↓ 6.0% below national average 50th percentile in Pennsylvania

Reading sits roughly in the middle of the pack for this role within Pennsylvania — neither a standout nor a laggard. That's close to the national average for security guards — a fairly typical rate for this role. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within Pennsylvania

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
1,050
Estimate confidence
RSE 0.7%
Cost of living 97 #83 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 1511 #51 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $312,348 #94 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $77,684 #58 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Reading ranks #83 for cost of living and #94 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

Kennewick $59,640 Lexington Park $52,860 Lynchburg $52,570 Longview $52,260 Seattle $51,400 San Luis Obispo $51,110 San Jose $51,020 Napa $50,400 San Francisco $50,270 Ithaca $49,800 Olympia $48,990 Mount Vernon $48,130 Paducah $48,080 Portland $47,960 Syracuse $47,920 Santa Cruz $47,870 Bremerton $47,730 Salem $47,460 Kokomo $47,230 Vallejo $46,870 Kingston $46,720 Utica $46,600 Santa Rosa $46,490 Elmira $46,400 Bellingham $46,390 Walla Walla $46,260 New York $46,140 Corvallis $46,050 Odessa $45,950 Spokane $45,620 Charlottesville $45,300 Rochester $45,260 Albany $45,220 Albany $45,190 Kiryas Joel $45,150 Santa Maria $44,970 Grand Rapids $44,570 Chambersburg $44,550 Chicago $44,360 Bend $44,280 Modesto $44,260 Midland $44,180 Vineland $44,170 Medford $44,100 Wenatchee $44,090 Binghamton $44,010 Los Angeles $43,880 Salinas $43,730 Springfield $43,700 Ann Arbor $43,610 Victoria $43,610 Oxnard $43,580 Staunton $43,500 Buffalo $43,490 Redding $43,390 Yakima $43,350 Peoria $43,220 Sacramento $43,150 San Diego $43,110 Eugene $42,910 Naples $42,850 Watertown $42,820 Baltimore $42,620 Hanford $42,540 Stockton $42,480 Glens Falls $42,410 Virginia Beach $42,280 Philadelphia $42,180 Richmond $42,150 Bakersfield $42,130 Riverside $42,090 Grants Pass $42,080 Midland $42,000 Decatur $41,960 Lansing $41,860 Roanoke $41,790 Trenton $41,670 Saginaw $41,630 Rockford $41,610 El Centro $41,590 Michigan City $41,590 Blacksburg $41,560 Austin $41,500 Atlantic City $41,440 Chico $41,430 Lafayette $41,420 Visalia $41,200 Gettysburg $41,170 Kalamazoo $41,170 Killeen $41,090 Niles $41,040 Kankakee $41,030 Bloomington $40,940 Detroit $40,790 Lancaster $40,720 York $40,680 Merced $40,660 Tyler $40,660 Indianapolis $40,650 Fresno $40,640 Harrisburg $40,500 Winchester $40,420 Fort Wayne $40,360 Yuba City $40,340 Traverse City $40,280 Louisville $40,210 Dallas $40,160 Scranton $40,080 Harrisonburg $39,920 Jackson $39,920 Abilene $39,910 Allentown $39,900 Salisbury $39,870 College Station $39,760 Champaign $39,720 Reading $39,680 Brownsville $39,680 Evansville $39,610 Pittsburgh $39,530 Columbus $39,450 Bowling Green $39,440 Dover $39,380 Elkhart $39,350 Wichita Falls $38,980 South Bend $38,840 Crestview $38,830 Palm Bay $38,790 Sarasota $38,750 Lebanon $38,740 Battle Creek $38,660 Altoona $38,650 Hagerstown $38,620 Bloomington $38,470 Port St. Lucie $38,330 Houston $38,270 Waco $38,140 Tampa $38,060 Sherman $38,020 Miami $37,900 Erie $37,720 Terre Haute $37,680 Texarkana $37,680 Elizabethtown $37,550 Lexington $37,490 Lubbock $37,350 Amarillo $37,160 Flint $37,160 Jacksonville $37,140 Williamsport $37,000 Punta Gorda $36,950 Wildwood $36,870 Homosassa Springs $36,790 Orlando $36,750 San Antonio $36,620 Fort Myers $36,560 Beaumont $36,430 Panama City $36,230 Lakeland $36,200 Sebastian $36,180 Huntington $35,990 Weirton $35,880 Pensacola $35,850 Gainesville $35,810 San Angelo $35,790 Owensboro $35,690 Muncie $35,680 Ocala $35,620 Morgantown $35,570 Deltona $35,430 Tallahassee $35,260 Corpus Christi $35,070 Muskegon $35,030 Longview $34,810 State College $34,740 Eagle Pass $34,690 Sebring $34,390 Wheeling $33,900 El Paso $33,410 Parkersburg $33,210 Johnstown $33,200 Bay City $32,770 Laredo $31,610 McAllen $31,280 Charleston $26,890
CityMean salaryvs. Reading
Abilene, Texas$39,910+0.6%
Albany, Oregon$45,190+13.9%
Albany, New York$45,220+14.0%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$39,900+0.6%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$38,650-2.6%
Amarillo, Texas$37,160-6.4%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$43,610+9.9%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$41,440+4.4%
Austin, Texas$41,500+4.6%
Bakersfield, California$42,130+6.2%
Baltimore, Maryland$42,620+7.4%
Battle Creek, Michigan$38,660-2.6%
Bay City, Michigan$32,770-17.4%
Beaumont, Texas$36,430-8.2%
Bellingham, Washington$46,390+16.9%
Bend, Oregon$44,280+11.6%
Binghamton, New York$44,010+10.9%
Blacksburg, Virginia$41,560+4.7%
Bloomington, Illinois$40,940+3.2%
Bloomington, Indiana$38,470-3.0%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$39,440-0.6%
Bremerton, Washington$47,730+20.3%
Brownsville, Texas$39,680+0.0%
Buffalo, New York$43,490+9.6%
Fort Myers, Florida$36,560-7.9%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$44,550+12.3%
Champaign, Illinois$39,720+0.1%
Charleston, West Virginia$26,890-32.2%
Charlottesville, Virginia$45,300+14.2%
Chicago, Illinois$44,360+11.8%
Chico, California$41,430+4.4%
College Station, Texas$39,760+0.2%
Columbus, Indiana$39,450-0.6%
Corpus Christi, Texas$35,070-11.6%
Corvallis, Oregon$46,050+16.1%
Crestview, Florida$38,830-2.1%
Dallas, Texas$40,160+1.2%
Decatur, Illinois$41,960+5.7%
Deltona, Florida$35,430-10.7%
Detroit, Michigan$40,790+2.8%
Dover, Delaware$39,380-0.8%
Eagle Pass, Texas$34,690-12.6%
El Centro, California$41,590+4.8%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$37,550-5.4%
Elkhart, Indiana$39,350-0.8%
Elmira, New York$46,400+16.9%
El Paso, Texas$33,410-15.8%
Erie, Pennsylvania$37,720-4.9%
Eugene, Oregon$42,910+8.1%
Evansville, Indiana$39,610-0.2%
Flint, Michigan$37,160-6.4%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$40,360+1.7%
Fresno, California$40,640+2.4%
Gainesville, Florida$35,810-9.8%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$41,170+3.8%
Glens Falls, New York$42,410+6.9%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$44,570+12.3%
Grants Pass, Oregon$42,080+6.0%
Hagerstown, Maryland$38,620-2.7%
Hanford, California$42,540+7.2%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$40,500+2.1%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$39,920+0.6%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$36,790-7.3%
Houston, Texas$38,270-3.6%
Huntington, West Virginia$35,990-9.3%
Indianapolis, Indiana$40,650+2.4%
Ithaca, New York$49,800+25.5%
Jackson, Michigan$39,920+0.6%
Jacksonville, Florida$37,140-6.4%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$33,200-16.3%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$41,170+3.8%
Kankakee, Illinois$41,030+3.4%
Kennewick, Washington$59,640+50.3%
Killeen, Texas$41,090+3.6%
Kingston, New York$46,720+17.7%
Kiryas Joel, New York$45,150+13.8%
Kokomo, Indiana$47,230+19.0%
Lafayette, Indiana$41,420+4.4%
Lakeland, Florida$36,200-8.8%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$40,720+2.6%
Lansing, Michigan$41,860+5.5%
Laredo, Texas$31,610-20.3%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$38,740-2.4%
Lexington, Kentucky$37,490-5.5%
Lexington Park, Maryland$52,860+33.2%
Longview, Texas$34,810-12.3%
Longview, Washington$52,260+31.7%
Los Angeles, California$43,880+10.6%
Louisville, Kentucky$40,210+1.3%
Lubbock, Texas$37,350-5.9%
Lynchburg, Virginia$52,570+32.5%
McAllen, Texas$31,280-21.2%
Medford, Oregon$44,100+11.1%
Merced, California$40,660+2.5%
Miami, Florida$37,900-4.5%
Michigan City, Indiana$41,590+4.8%
Midland, Michigan$42,000+5.8%
Midland, Texas$44,180+11.3%
Modesto, California$44,260+11.5%
Morgantown, West Virginia$35,570-10.4%
Mount Vernon, Washington$48,130+21.3%
Muncie, Indiana$35,680-10.1%
Muskegon, Michigan$35,030-11.7%
Napa, California$50,400+27.0%
Naples, Florida$42,850+8.0%
New York, New York$46,140+16.3%
Niles, Michigan$41,040+3.4%
Sarasota, Florida$38,750-2.3%
Ocala, Florida$35,620-10.2%
Odessa, Texas$45,950+15.8%
Olympia, Washington$48,990+23.5%
Orlando, Florida$36,750-7.4%
Owensboro, Kentucky$35,690-10.1%
Oxnard, California$43,580+9.8%
Paducah, Kentucky$48,080+21.2%
Palm Bay, Florida$38,790-2.2%
Panama City, Florida$36,230-8.7%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$33,210-16.3%
Pensacola, Florida$35,850-9.7%
Peoria, Illinois$43,220+8.9%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$42,180+6.3%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$39,530-0.4%
Portland, Oregon$47,960+20.9%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$38,330-3.4%
Punta Gorda, Florida$36,950-6.9%
Redding, California$43,390+9.3%
Richmond, Virginia$42,150+6.2%
Riverside, California$42,090+6.1%
Roanoke, Virginia$41,790+5.3%
Rochester, New York$45,260+14.1%
Rockford, Illinois$41,610+4.9%
Sacramento, California$43,150+8.7%
Saginaw, Michigan$41,630+4.9%
Salem, Oregon$47,460+19.6%
Salinas, California$43,730+10.2%
Salisbury, Maryland$39,870+0.5%
San Angelo, Texas$35,790-9.8%
San Antonio, Texas$36,620-7.7%
San Diego, California$43,110+8.6%
San Francisco, California$50,270+26.7%
San Jose, California$51,020+28.6%
San Luis Obispo, California$51,110+28.8%
Santa Cruz, California$47,870+20.6%
Santa Maria, California$44,970+13.3%
Santa Rosa, California$46,490+17.2%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$40,080+1.0%
Seattle, Washington$51,400+29.5%
Sebastian, Florida$36,180-8.8%
Sebring, Florida$34,390-13.3%
Sherman, Texas$38,020-4.2%
South Bend, Indiana$38,840-2.1%
Spokane, Washington$45,620+15.0%
Springfield, Illinois$43,700+10.1%
State College, Pennsylvania$34,740-12.4%
Staunton, Virginia$43,500+9.6%
Stockton, California$42,480+7.1%
Syracuse, New York$47,920+20.8%
Tallahassee, Florida$35,260-11.1%
Tampa, Florida$38,060-4.1%
Terre Haute, Indiana$37,680-5.0%
Texarkana, Texas$37,680-5.0%
Traverse City, Michigan$40,280+1.5%
Trenton, New Jersey$41,670+5.0%
Tyler, Texas$40,660+2.5%
Utica, New York$46,600+17.4%
Vallejo, California$46,870+18.1%
Victoria, Texas$43,610+9.9%
Vineland, New Jersey$44,170+11.3%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$42,280+6.6%
Visalia, California$41,200+3.8%
Waco, Texas$38,140-3.9%
Walla Walla, Washington$46,260+16.6%
Watertown, New York$42,820+7.9%
Weirton, West Virginia$35,880-9.6%
Wenatchee, Washington$44,090+11.1%
Wheeling, West Virginia$33,900-14.6%
Wichita Falls, Texas$38,980-1.8%
Wildwood, Florida$36,870-7.1%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$37,000-6.8%
Winchester, Virginia$40,420+1.9%
Yakima, Washington$43,350+9.2%
York, Pennsylvania$40,680+2.5%
Yuba City, California$40,340+1.7%
Gross salary
39,680/yr
Estimated take-home
32,845/yr
Est. total withheld
17.2%

Single filer, federal + Pennsylvania state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Security Guards salaries in Pennsylvania → All Security Guards salaries →
Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 33-9032 SOC code
Official area Reading, PA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 39740 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: pa_dor_verificado 2025
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: Pennsylvania

Population (metro area)
429,989