Security Guards salary in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Security Guards in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Florida tax rules.
The figures
The median Security Guards in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area earns $36,040 a year ($17.33 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Security Guards in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL earn between $32,220 and $39,790 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $30,070 or less and the top 10 percent earn $45,710 or more. BLS estimates 41,530 Security Guards jobs in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL area — 14.728 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.78 (well above the national concentration). That is 3.2% of all Security Guards employment in the United States (1,283,470 jobs nationally). By employment, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL is the #4 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Security Guards. In aggregate, Security Guards in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL earn about $1.57 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $32,632.40 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL Security Guards is about $1.36 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 2% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL stands #20 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Security Guards. By employment, Security Guards is the #12 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL. Placed against the national distribution for Security Guards, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL median of $36,040 falls between the national 25th percentile ($35,210) and the national median ($38,020). Across all occupations, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL median is $48,640 a year — Security Guards pay is 25.9% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $18.22 | $37,900 |
| 10th percentile | $14.46 | $30,070 |
| 25th percentile | $15.49 | $32,220 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $17.33 | $36,040 |
| 75th percentile | $19.13 | $39,790 |
| 90th percentile | $21.97 | $45,710 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Security Guards in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL earn 1.5 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($45,710 against $30,070). The middle half spans $7,570 — from $32,220 to $39,790. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($21.97) is 1.52 times the 10th ($14.46). In the upper half of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $39,790 takes home $34,151.38 and the 90th percentile wage of $45,710 takes home $38,908.14 — $4,756.76 more net for $5,920 more gross. Against the median take-home of $31,138.22, the top decile keeps 1.25 times as much. The mean wage of $37,900 sits 5.2% above the median: higher-paid Security Guards pull the average up in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL. Among the 30 covered occupations in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL, Security Guards ranks #25 by median pay. In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL wage ladder of covered occupations, Security Guards sits between Waiters and Waitresses at $36,070 and Retail Salespersons at $34,330. Security Guards accounts for 1.5% of all employment in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area. The average covered metro employs 28,378 Security Guards; Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL employs 1.5 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Florida
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Florida; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $36,040.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,144.80 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,234.48 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $522.58 |
| Florida income tax | $0.00 |
| Total deductions | $4,901.78 |
| Net pay (annual) | $31,138.22 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,197.62 |
| Total deduction rate | 13.60% of gross |
At the median, $31,138.22 of the $36,040 gross is kept ($1,197.62 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 13.60%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 12.40% at the 10th percentile, 12.88% at the 25th percentile, 14.17% at the 75th percentile, 14.88% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $6,082.54 on a gross rise of $7,570.
The same engine at the other published points of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($30,070) | $26,341.08 | $1,013.12 | 12.40% |
| 25th percentile ($32,220) | $28,068.84 | $1,079.57 | 12.88% |
| Median ($36,040) | $31,138.22 | $1,197.62 | 13.60% |
| 75th percentile ($39,790) | $34,151.38 | $1,313.51 | 14.17% |
| 90th percentile ($45,710) | $38,908.14 | $1,496.47 | 14.88% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $26,341.08 a year at the 10th percentile to $38,908.14 at the 90th — a spread of $12,567.06 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL median wage of $48,640 takes home $41,261.98 a year ($1,587.00 per paycheck, deduction rate 15.17%). The Security Guards median take-home of $31,138.22 sits $10,123.76 (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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL median of $36,040 is $1,980 (5.2%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $37,900 a year in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL against $42,470 nationally, a gap of $4,570 (10.8%).
Set against the whole local market, the Security Guards 90th percentile of $45,710 is 37% of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL all-occupations 90th percentile ($122,530), and its 10th percentile of $30,070 is 100% of the area-wide 10th ($30,140).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $36,040 | $17.33 | $37,900 |
| United States | $38,020 | $18.28 | $42,470 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Security Guards in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
$36,040 a year ($17.33 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $37,900 a year. Ranked by median pay, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL stands #20 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $36,040 in Florida?
About $31,138.22 a year ($1,197.62 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 13.60% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $39,790, take-home is $34,151.38.
How does pay in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL compare with the national median for Security Guards?
The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL median of $36,040 is $1,980 (5.2%) below the national median of $38,020 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $45,710, against a national 90th percentile of $58,840.
How much do the top 10% of Security Guards earn in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
$45,710 a year or more ($21.97 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
On $45,710 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $38,908.14 a year ($1,496.47 per biweekly paycheck) in Florida under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 14.88%.
How many Security Guards jobs are there in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
BLS estimates 41,530 Security Guards jobs in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area — 14.728 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Security Guards jobs in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
The location quotient is 1.78 — 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
From $26,341.08 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($30,070) to $38,908.14 at the 90th ($45,710), under the same single-filer assumptions in Florida.
What is the total wage bill for Security Guards in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
About $1.57 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 41,530 multiplied by the mean wage of $37,900.
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.