Security Guards salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Security Guards in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area earns $36,010 a year ($17.31 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Security Guards in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL earn between $33,510 and $42,410 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $28,800 or less and the top 10 percent earn $47,700 or more. BLS estimates 12,200 Security Guards jobs in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL area — 8.432 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.02 (about the same concentration as the nation). That is 1.0% of all Security Guards employment in the United States (1,283,470 jobs nationally). By employment, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL is the #19 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Security Guards. In aggregate, Security Guards in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL earn about $0.46 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $32,760.94 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Security Guards is about $0.40 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 1.7% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL stands #21 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Security Guards. By employment, Security Guards is the #24 largest of the 29 covered occupations in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Placed against the national distribution for Security Guards, the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL median of $36,010 falls between the national 25th percentile ($35,210) and the national median ($38,020). Across all occupations, the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL median is $48,940 a year — Security Guards pay is 26.4% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $18.30 | $38,060 |
| 10th percentile | $13.84 | $28,800 |
| 25th percentile | $16.11 | $33,510 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $17.31 | $36,010 |
| 75th percentile | $20.39 | $42,410 |
| 90th percentile | $22.93 | $47,700 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Security Guards in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL earn 1.7 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($47,700 against $28,800). The middle half spans $8,900 — from $33,510 to $42,410. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($22.93) is 1.66 times the 10th ($13.84). In the upper half of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $42,410 takes home $36,256.58 and the 90th percentile wage of $47,700 takes home $40,506.84 — $4,250.26 more net for $5,290 more gross. Against the median take-home of $31,114.20, the top decile keeps 1.30 times as much. The mean wage of $38,060 sits 5.7% above the median: higher-paid Security Guards pull the average up in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Among the 29 covered occupations in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, Security Guards ranks #23 by median pay. In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL wage ladder of covered occupations, Security Guards sits between Cooks, Restaurant at $37,010 and Stockers and Order Fillers at $35,420. Security Guards accounts for 0.8% of all employment in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area. The average covered metro employs 28,378 Security Guards; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL employs 0.4 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) | $36,010.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,141.20 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,232.62 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $522.15 |
| Florida income tax | $0.00 |
| Total deductions | $4,895.80 |
| Net pay (annual) | $31,114.20 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,196.70 |
| Total deduction rate | 13.60% of gross |
At the median, $31,114.20 of the $36,010 gross is kept ($1,196.70 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 13.60%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 12.08% at the 10th percentile, 13.15% at the 25th percentile, 14.51% at the 75th percentile, 15.08% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $7,151.50 on a gross rise of $8,900.
The same engine at the other published points of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($28,800) | $25,320.68 | $973.87 | 12.08% |
| 25th percentile ($33,510) | $29,105.08 | $1,119.43 | 13.15% |
| Median ($36,010) | $31,114.20 | $1,196.70 | 13.60% |
| 75th percentile ($42,410) | $36,256.58 | $1,394.48 | 14.51% |
| 90th percentile ($47,700) | $40,506.84 | $1,557.96 | 15.08% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $25,320.68 a year at the 10th percentile to $40,506.84 at the 90th — a spread of $15,186.16 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL median wage of $48,940 takes home $41,503.48 a year ($1,596.29 per paycheck, deduction rate 15.20%). The Security Guards median take-home of $31,114.20 sits $10,389.28 (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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL median of $36,010 is $2,010 (5.3%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $38,060 a year in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL against $42,470 nationally, a gap of $4,410 (10.4%).
Set against the whole local market, the Security Guards 90th percentile of $47,700 is 39% of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL all-occupations 90th percentile ($121,920), and its 10th percentile of $28,800 is 95% of the area-wide 10th ($30,190).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $36,010 | $17.31 | $38,060 |
| United States | $38,020 | $18.28 | $42,470 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Security Guards in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
$36,010 a year ($17.31 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $38,060 a year. Ranked by median pay, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL stands #21 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $36,010 in Florida?
About $31,114.20 a year ($1,196.70 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 $42,410, take-home is $36,256.58.
How does pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL compare with the national median for Security Guards?
The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL median of $36,010 is $2,010 (5.3%) below the national median of $38,020 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $47,700, against a national 90th percentile of $58,840.
How much do the top 10% of Security Guards earn in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
$47,700 a year or more ($22.93 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
On $47,700 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $40,506.84 a year ($1,557.96 per biweekly paycheck) in Florida under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 15.08%.
How many Security Guards jobs are there in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
BLS estimates 12,200 Security Guards jobs in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area — 8.432 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Security Guards jobs in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
The location quotient is 1.02 — about the same concentration as the nation. 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
From $25,320.68 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($28,800) to $40,506.84 at the 90th ($47,700), under the same single-filer assumptions in Florida.
What is the total wage bill for Security Guards in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
About $0.46 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 12,200 multiplied by the mean wage of $38,060.
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.