Security Guards pay range in Seattle
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,990 a year or less, while the top 10% make $68,040 or more. The middle half of security guards in Seattle earn between $44,460 and $57,990.
- $39K10th
- $44K25th
- $47KMedian
- $58K75th
- $68K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $51,400 | $4,283 | $24.71 |
| Median | $47,490 | $3,958 | $22.83 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $44,460 | $3,705 | $21.38 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $57,990 | $4,832 | $27.88 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Security Guards salary after taxes in Seattle
On the average salary of $51,400, a single filer in Seattle takes home about $43,480 a year, or $3,623 a month and $1,672 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Is Seattle a good place for security guards? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Seattle area are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.1), so the average $51,400 buys what about $46,251 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Seattle ($72,610). A typical home costs $750,279, or 14.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Security Guards salary in other Washington cities
Seattle ranks 3rd of 11 Washington metro areas for this job; Kennewick pays the most ($59,640).
- Kennewick$59,640
- Longview$52,260
- Seattle$51,400
- Olympia$48,990
- Mount Vernon$48,130
- Bremerton$47,730
- Bellingham$46,390
- Walla Walla$46,260
- Spokane$45,620
- Wenatchee$44,090
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 Seattle: questions
How much do security guards make an hour in Seattle?
$24.71 an hour on average, and $22.83 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level security guards salary in Seattle?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,990 a year and the 25th percentile is $44,460, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the security guards take-home pay in Seattle?
About $43,480 a year ($3,623 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $51,400. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Do security guards earn more in Seattle than elsewhere?
The average here is 22% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.5%.
- 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. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.99, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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