Security Guards salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Security Guards in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 District of Columbia tax rules.
The figures
The median Security Guards in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earns $46,830 a year ($22.52 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Security Guards in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn between $38,660 and $71,030 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $36,530 or less and the top 10 percent earn $78,790 or more. BLS estimates 40,950 Security Guards jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area — 13.059 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.58 (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, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is the #5 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Security Guards. In aggregate, Security Guards in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn about $2.23 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $43,748.68 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Security Guards is about $1.79 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 2.7% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #2 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Placed against the national distribution for Security Guards, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $46,830 falls above the national 75th percentile of $46,200. Across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is $71,060 a year — Security Guards pay is 34.1% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $26.17 | $54,430 |
| 10th percentile | $17.56 | $36,530 |
| 25th percentile | $18.59 | $38,660 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $22.52 | $46,830 |
| 75th percentile | $34.15 | $71,030 |
| 90th percentile | $37.88 | $78,790 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Security Guards in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn 2.2 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($78,790 against $36,530). The middle half spans $32,370 — from $38,660 to $71,030. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($37.88) is 2.16 times the 10th ($17.56). In the upper half of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $71,030 takes home $55,557.66 and the 90th percentile wage of $78,790 takes home $60,436.60 — $4,878.94 more net for $7,760 more gross. Against the median take-home of $38,098.16, the top decile keeps 1.59 times as much. The mean wage of $54,430 sits 16.2% above the median: higher-paid Security Guards pull the average up in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Among the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, Security Guards ranks #18 by median pay. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage ladder of covered occupations, Security Guards sits between Construction Laborers at $47,430 and Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators at $46,400. Security Guards accounts for 1.3% of all employment in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. The average covered metro employs 28,378 Security Guards; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV employs 1.4 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in District of Columbia
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in District of Columbia; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $46,830.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $3,439.60 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,903.46 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $679.04 |
| District of Columbia income tax | $1,709.80 |
| Total deductions | $8,731.84 |
| Net pay (annual) | $38,098.16 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,465.31 |
| Total deduction rate | 18.65% of gross |
At the median, $38,098.16 of the $46,830 gross is kept ($1,465.31 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 18.65%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 16.67% at the 10th percentile, 17.17% at the 25th percentile, 21.78% at the 75th percentile, 23.29% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $23,533.90 on a gross rise of $32,370.
The same engine at the other published points of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($36,530) | $30,440.28 | $1,170.78 | 16.67% |
| 25th percentile ($38,660) | $32,023.76 | $1,231.68 | 17.17% |
| Median ($46,830) | $38,098.16 | $1,465.31 | 18.65% |
| 75th percentile ($71,030) | $55,557.66 | $2,136.83 | 21.78% |
| 90th percentile ($78,790) | $60,436.60 | $2,324.48 | 23.29% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $30,440.28 a year at the 10th percentile to $60,436.60 at the 90th — a spread of $29,996.32 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median wage of $71,060 takes home $55,576.74 a year ($2,137.57 per paycheck, deduction rate 21.79%). The Security Guards median take-home of $38,098.16 sits $17,478.58 (below that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV also covers parts of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia. The take-home estimate above uses District of Columbia 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 Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia paycheck calculators.
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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $46,830 is $8,810 (23.2%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $54,430 a year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV against $42,470 nationally, a gap of $11,960 (28.2%).
Set against the whole local market, the Security Guards 90th percentile of $78,790 is 45% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV all-occupations 90th percentile ($174,600), and its 10th percentile of $36,530 is 101% of the area-wide 10th ($36,260).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $46,830 | $22.52 | $54,430 |
| United States | $38,020 | $18.28 | $42,470 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Security Guards in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$46,830 a year ($22.52 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $54,430 a year. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #2 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $46,830 in District of Columbia?
About $38,098.16 a year ($1,465.31 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 18.65% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $71,030, take-home is $55,557.66.
How does pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compare with the national median for Security Guards?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $46,830 is $8,810 (23.2%) above the national median of $38,020 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $78,790, against a national 90th percentile of $58,840.
How much do the top 10% of Security Guards earn in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$78,790 a year or more ($37.88 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On $78,790 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $60,436.60 a year ($2,324.48 per biweekly paycheck) in District of Columbia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 23.29%.
How many Security Guards jobs are there in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimates 40,950 Security Guards jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — 13.059 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Security Guards jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The location quotient is 1.58 — 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
From $30,440.28 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($36,530) to $60,436.60 at the 90th ($78,790), under the same single-filer assumptions in District of Columbia.
What is the total wage bill for Security Guards in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
About $2.23 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 40,950 multiplied by the mean wage of $54,430.
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.