Security Guards pay range in Nashville
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,360 a year or less, while the top 10% make $56,270 or more. The middle half of security guards in Nashville earn between $33,140 and $43,780.
- $30K10th
- $33K25th
- $37KMedian
- $44K75th
- $56K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $40,010 | $3,334 | $19.24 |
| Median | $37,010 | $3,084 | $17.79 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $33,140 | $2,762 | $15.93 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $43,780 | $3,648 | $21.05 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Security Guards salary after taxes in Nashville
On the average salary of $40,010, a single filer in Nashville takes home about $34,328 a year, or $2,861 a month and $1,320 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Nashville a good place for security guards? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Nashville area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 96.3), so the average $40,010 buys what about $41,531 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Nashville ($50,390). A typical home costs $455,958, or 11.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Security Guards salary in other Tennessee cities
Nashville ranks 1st of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Nashville$40,010
- Knoxville$39,730
- Clarksville$39,480
- Chattanooga$38,910
- Kingsport$38,870
- Jackson$36,850
- Cleveland$36,660
- Memphis$36,570
- Morristown$34,170
- Johnson City$31,360
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 Nashville: questions
How much do security guards make an hour in Nashville?
$19.24 an hour on average, and $17.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level security guards salary in Nashville?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,360 a year and the 25th percentile is $33,140, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the security guards take-home pay in Nashville?
About $34,328 a year ($2,861 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $40,010. Tennessee has no state income tax.
Do security guards earn more in Nashville than elsewhere?
The average here is 5% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN (34980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
- 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 no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.18, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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