Security Guards salary in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Security Guards in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 North Carolina tax rules.
The figures
The median Security Guards in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area earns $35,010 a year ($16.83 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Security Guards in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn between $33,110 and $42,940 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $29,520 or less and the top 10 percent earn $46,740 or more. BLS estimates 12,020 Security Guards jobs in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area — 8.849 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.07 (above the national concentration). That is 0.9% of all Security Guards employment in the United States (1,283,470 jobs nationally). By employment, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC is the #20 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Security Guards. In aggregate, Security Guards in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn about $0.46 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $31,965.06 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Security Guards is about $0.38 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 1.9% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC stands #25 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Security Guards. By employment, Security Guards is the #21 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. Placed against the national distribution for Security Guards, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $35,010 falls below the national 25th percentile of $35,210. Across all occupations, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median is $49,990 a year — Security Guards pay is 30.0% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $18.43 | $38,340 |
| 10th percentile | $14.19 | $29,520 |
| 25th percentile | $15.92 | $33,110 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $16.83 | $35,010 |
| 75th percentile | $20.65 | $42,940 |
| 90th percentile | $22.47 | $46,740 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Security Guards in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn 1.6 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($46,740 against $29,520). The middle half spans $9,830 — from $33,110 to $42,940. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($22.47) is 1.58 times the 10th ($14.19). In the upper half of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $42,940 takes home $35,477.48 and the 90th percentile wage of $46,740 takes home $38,379.18 — $2,901.70 more net for $3,800 more gross. Against the median take-home of $29,422.34, the top decile keeps 1.30 times as much. The mean wage of $38,340 sits 9.5% above the median: higher-paid Security Guards pull the average up in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. Among the 30 covered occupations in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Security Guards ranks #26 by median pay. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC wage ladder of covered occupations, Security Guards sits between Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners at $35,600 and Home Health and Personal Care Aides at $33,680. Security Guards accounts for 0.9% of all employment in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area. The average covered metro employs 28,378 Security Guards; Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC employs 0.4 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in North Carolina
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in North Carolina; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $35,010.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,021.20 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,170.62 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $507.64 |
| North Carolina income tax | $888.17 |
| Total deductions | $5,587.66 |
| Net pay (annual) | $29,422.34 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,131.63 |
| Total deduction rate | 15.96% of gross |
At the median, $29,422.34 of the $35,010 gross is kept ($1,131.63 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 15.96%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 14.53% at the 10th percentile, 15.52% at the 25th percentile, 17.38% at the 75th percentile, 17.89% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $7,505.86 on a gross rise of $9,830.
The same engine at the other published points of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($29,520) | $25,230.26 | $970.39 | 14.53% |
| 25th percentile ($33,110) | $27,971.62 | $1,075.83 | 15.52% |
| Median ($35,010) | $29,422.34 | $1,131.63 | 15.96% |
| 75th percentile ($42,940) | $35,477.48 | $1,364.52 | 17.38% |
| 90th percentile ($46,740) | $38,379.18 | $1,476.12 | 17.89% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $25,230.26 a year at the 10th percentile to $38,379.18 at the 90th — a spread of $13,148.92 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median wage of $49,990 takes home $40,860.88 a year ($1,571.57 per paycheck, deduction rate 18.26%). The Security Guards median take-home of $29,422.34 sits $11,438.54 (below that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC also covers parts of South Carolina. The take-home estimate above uses North Carolina rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the South Carolina paycheck calculator.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Security Guards earns $38,020 a year ($18.28 an hour). The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $35,010 is $3,010 (7.9%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $38,340 a year in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC against $42,470 nationally, a gap of $4,130 (9.7%).
Set against the whole local market, the Security Guards 90th percentile of $46,740 is 36% of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC all-occupations 90th percentile ($130,510), and its 10th percentile of $29,520 is 100% of the area-wide 10th ($29,640).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $35,010 | $16.83 | $38,340 |
| United States | $38,020 | $18.28 | $42,470 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Security Guards in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
$35,010 a year ($16.83 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $38,340 a year. Ranked by median pay, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC stands #25 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $35,010 in North Carolina?
About $29,422.34 a year ($1,131.63 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 15.96% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $42,940, take-home is $35,477.48.
How does pay in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC compare with the national median for Security Guards?
The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $35,010 is $3,010 (7.9%) below the national median of $38,020 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $46,740, against a national 90th percentile of $58,840.
How much do the top 10% of Security Guards earn in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
$46,740 a year or more ($22.47 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Security Guards in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
On $46,740 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $38,379.18 a year ($1,476.12 per biweekly paycheck) in North Carolina under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 17.89%.
How many Security Guards jobs are there in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
BLS estimates 12,020 Security Guards jobs in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area — 8.849 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Security Guards jobs in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
The location quotient is 1.07 — above the national concentration. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Security Guards in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
From $25,230.26 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($29,520) to $38,379.18 at the 90th ($46,740), under the same single-filer assumptions in North Carolina.
What is the total wage bill for Security Guards in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
About $0.46 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 12,020 multiplied by the mean wage of $38,340.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.