Security Guards salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Security Guards in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 California tax rules.
The figures
The median Security Guards in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earns $40,030 a year ($19.25 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Security Guards in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA earn between $37,130 and $45,730 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $36,300 or less and the top 10 percent earn $56,750 or more. BLS estimates 83,280 Security Guards jobs in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area — 13.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.61 (well above the national concentration). That is 6.5% of all Security Guards employment in the United States (1,283,470 jobs nationally). By employment, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA is the #2 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Security Guards. In aggregate, Security Guards in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA earn about $3.65 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $36,163.46 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Security Guards is about $3.01 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 1.3% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA stands #10 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Security Guards. By employment, Security Guards is the #11 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA. Placed against the national distribution for Security Guards, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA median of $40,030 falls between the national median ($38,020) and the national 75th percentile ($46,200). Across all occupations, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA median is $55,850 a year — Security Guards pay is 28.3% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $21.10 | $43,880 |
| 10th percentile | $17.45 | $36,300 |
| 25th percentile | $17.85 | $37,130 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $19.25 | $40,030 |
| 75th percentile | $21.99 | $45,730 |
| 90th percentile | $27.29 | $56,750 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Security Guards in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA earn 1.6 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($56,750 against $36,300). The middle half spans $8,600 — from $37,130 to $45,730. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($27.29) is 1.56 times the 10th ($17.45). In the upper half of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $45,730 takes home $37,552.22 and the 90th percentile wage of $56,750 takes home $45,662.82 — $8,110.60 more net for $11,020 more gross. Against the median take-home of $33,274.42, the top decile keeps 1.37 times as much. The mean wage of $43,880 sits 9.6% above the median: higher-paid Security Guards pull the average up in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA. Among the 30 covered occupations in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, Security Guards ranks #24 by median pay. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA wage ladder of covered occupations, Security Guards sits between Fast Food and Counter Workers at $42,110 and Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners at $38,720. Security Guards accounts for 1.3% of all employment in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area. The average covered metro employs 28,378 Security Guards; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA employs 2.9 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in California
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in California; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $40,030.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,623.60 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,481.86 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $580.43 |
| California income tax | $549.50 |
| California SDI (State Disability Insurance) | $520.39 |
| Total deductions | $6,755.58 |
| Net pay (annual) | $33,274.42 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,279.79 |
| Total deduction rate | 16.88% of gross |
At the median, $33,274.42 of the $40,030 gross is kept ($1,279.79 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 16.88%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 16.05% at the 10th percentile, 16.25% at the 25th percentile, 17.88% at the 75th percentile, 19.54% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $6,454.22 on a gross rise of $8,600.
The same engine at the other published points of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($36,300) | $30,474.96 | $1,172.11 | 16.05% |
| 25th percentile ($37,130) | $31,098.00 | $1,196.08 | 16.25% |
| Median ($40,030) | $33,274.42 | $1,279.79 | 16.88% |
| 75th percentile ($45,730) | $37,552.22 | $1,444.32 | 17.88% |
| 90th percentile ($56,750) | $45,662.82 | $1,756.26 | 19.54% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $30,474.96 a year at the 10th percentile to $45,662.82 at the 90th — a spread of $15,187.86 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA median wage of $55,850 takes home $45,005.40 a year ($1,730.98 per paycheck, deduction rate 19.42%). The Security Guards median take-home of $33,274.42 sits $11,730.98 (below that area-wide figure.
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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA median of $40,030 is $2,010 (5.3%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $43,880 a year in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA against $42,470 nationally, a gap of $1,410 (3.3%).
Set against the whole local market, the Security Guards 90th percentile of $56,750 is 40% of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA all-occupations 90th percentile ($141,370), and its 10th percentile of $36,300 is 101% of the area-wide 10th ($35,870).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $40,030 | $19.25 | $43,880 |
| United States | $38,020 | $18.28 | $42,470 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Security Guards in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
$40,030 a year ($19.25 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $43,880 a year. Ranked by median pay, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA stands #10 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $40,030 in California?
About $33,274.42 a year ($1,279.79 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 16.88% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $45,730, take-home is $37,552.22.
How does pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA compare with the national median for Security Guards?
The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA median of $40,030 is $2,010 (5.3%) above the national median of $38,020 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $56,750, against a national 90th percentile of $58,840.
How much do the top 10% of Security Guards earn in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
$56,750 a year or more ($27.29 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
On $56,750 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $45,662.82 a year ($1,756.26 per biweekly paycheck) in California under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 19.54%.
How many Security Guards jobs are there in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
BLS estimates 83,280 Security Guards jobs in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area — 13.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Security Guards jobs in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The location quotient is 1.61 — well 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
From $30,474.96 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($36,300) to $45,662.82 at the 90th ($56,750), under the same single-filer assumptions in California.
What is the total wage bill for Security Guards in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
About $3.65 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 83,280 multiplied by the mean wage of $43,880.
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.