Security Guards pay range in Madison
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,670 a year or less, while the top 10% make $58,320 or more. The middle half of security guards in Madison earn between $35,180 and $49,560.
- $30K10th
- $35K25th
- $38KMedian
- $50K75th
- $58K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $42,680 | $3,557 | $20.52 |
| Median | $38,020 | $3,168 | $18.28 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $35,180 | $2,932 | $16.91 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $49,560 | $4,130 | $23.83 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Security Guards salary after taxes in Madison
On the average salary of $42,680, a single filer in Madison takes home about $35,257 a year, or $2,938 a month and $1,356 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 Madison a good place for security guards? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Madison area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.3), so the average $42,680 buys what about $43,870 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Madison ($58,080). A typical home costs $452,769, or 10.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Security Guards salary in other Wisconsin cities
Madison ranks 2nd of 13 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Racine pays the most ($43,530).
- Racine$43,530
- Madison$42,680
- Milwaukee$42,380
- Green Bay$42,360
- Janesville$41,570
- Sheboygan$41,320
- Eau Claire$40,300
- Kenosha$40,110
- Fond du Lac$39,720
- Wausau$39,700
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 Madison: questions
How much do security guards make an hour in Madison?
$20.52 an hour on average, and $18.28 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level security guards salary in Madison?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,670 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,180, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the security guards take-home pay in Madison?
About $35,257 a year ($2,938 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $42,680.
Do security guards earn more in Madison than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as 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 Madison, WI (31540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
- 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 state income tax (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.38, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.38).
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