Security Guards salary in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Security Guards in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Arizona tax rules.
The figures
The median Security Guards in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area earns $38,290 a year ($18.41 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Security Guards in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ earn between $36,250 and $44,260 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $33,190 or less and the top 10 percent earn $55,290 or more. BLS estimates 23,160 Security Guards jobs in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area — 9.749 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.18 (above the national concentration). That is 1.8% of all Security Guards employment in the United States (1,283,470 jobs nationally). By employment, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ is the #10 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Security Guards. In aggregate, Security Guards in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ earn about $0.96 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $34,952.60 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Security Guards is about $0.81 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 4.1% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ stands #13 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Security Guards. By employment, Security Guards is the #18 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ. Placed against the national distribution for Security Guards, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median of $38,290 falls between the national median ($38,020) and the national 75th percentile ($46,200). Across all occupations, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median is $51,380 a year — Security Guards pay is 25.5% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $19.99 | $41,580 |
| 10th percentile | $15.96 | $33,190 |
| 25th percentile | $17.43 | $36,250 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $18.41 | $38,290 |
| 75th percentile | $21.28 | $44,260 |
| 90th percentile | $26.58 | $55,290 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Security Guards in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ earn 1.7 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($55,290 against $33,190). The middle half spans $8,010 — from $36,250 to $44,260. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($26.58) is 1.67 times the 10th ($15.96). In the upper half of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $44,260 takes home $37,039.02 and the 90th percentile wage of $55,290 takes home $45,625.80 — $8,586.78 more net for $11,030 more gross. Against the median take-home of $32,391.12, the top decile keeps 1.41 times as much. The mean wage of $41,580 sits 8.6% above the median: higher-paid Security Guards pull the average up in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ. Among the 30 covered occupations in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ, Security Guards ranks #24 by median pay. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ wage ladder of covered occupations, Security Guards sits between Cooks, Restaurant at $39,170 and Stockers and Order Fillers at $37,730. Security Guards accounts for 1.0% of all employment in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area. The average covered metro employs 28,378 Security Guards; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ employs 0.8 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Arizona
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Arizona; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $38,290.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,414.80 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,373.98 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $555.20 |
| Arizona income tax | $554.75 |
| Total deductions | $5,898.88 |
| Net pay (annual) | $32,391.12 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,245.81 |
| Total deduction rate | 15.41% of gross |
At the median, $32,391.12 of the $38,290 gross is kept ($1,245.81 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 15.41%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 14.37% at the 10th percentile, 15.03% at the 25th percentile, 16.31% at the 75th percentile, 17.48% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $6,236.02 on a gross rise of $8,010.
The same engine at the other published points of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($33,190) | $28,420.82 | $1,093.11 | 14.37% |
| 25th percentile ($36,250) | $30,803.00 | $1,184.73 | 15.03% |
| Median ($38,290) | $32,391.12 | $1,245.81 | 15.41% |
| 75th percentile ($44,260) | $37,039.02 | $1,424.58 | 16.31% |
| 90th percentile ($55,290) | $45,625.80 | $1,754.84 | 17.48% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $28,420.82 a year at the 10th percentile to $45,625.80 at the 90th — a spread of $17,204.98 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median wage of $51,380 takes home $42,582.12 a year ($1,637.77 per paycheck, deduction rate 17.12%). The Security Guards median take-home of $32,391.12 sits $10,191.00 (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 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median of $38,290 is $270 (0.7%) above the national median.
The means rank the area differently: $41,580 a year in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ against $42,470 nationally, a gap of $890 (2.1%).
Set against the whole local market, the Security Guards 90th percentile of $55,290 is 44% of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ all-occupations 90th percentile ($125,130), and its 10th percentile of $33,190 is 95% of the area-wide 10th ($34,800).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $38,290 | $18.41 | $41,580 |
| United States | $38,020 | $18.28 | $42,470 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Security Guards in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
$38,290 a year ($18.41 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $41,580 a year. Ranked by median pay, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ stands #13 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $38,290 in Arizona?
About $32,391.12 a year ($1,245.81 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 15.41% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $44,260, take-home is $37,039.02.
How does pay in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ compare with the national median for Security Guards?
The Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median of $38,290 is $270 (0.7%) above the national median of $38,020 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $55,290, against a national 90th percentile of $58,840.
How much do the top 10% of Security Guards earn in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
$55,290 a year or more ($26.58 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 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
On $55,290 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $45,625.80 a year ($1,754.84 per biweekly paycheck) in Arizona under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 17.48%.
How many Security Guards jobs are there in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
BLS estimates 23,160 Security Guards jobs in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area — 9.749 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Security Guards jobs in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
The location quotient is 1.18 — 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 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
From $28,420.82 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($33,190) to $45,625.80 at the 90th ($55,290), under the same single-filer assumptions in Arizona.
What is the total wage bill for Security Guards in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
About $0.96 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 23,160 multiplied by the mean wage of $41,580.
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.