Guard pay in Delaware · Rank #37 of 51
What security guards make in Delaware
3,430 employed officers · $17.48/hr median ($36,500/yr) · $21.04/hr average.
Statewide pay by percentile in Delaware25th, Median, Average, 75th, 90th percentile, and Supervisor rates (BLS 2025)$17.48/hr median
| Security guards, Delaware | Hourly | Full-time year |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $17.31 | $36,000 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $17.48 | $36,500 |
| Average (mean) | $21.04 | $44,000 |
| 75th percentile | $21.37 | $44,500 |
| 90th percentile | $35.28 | $73,500 |
| Supervisors, median | $30.21 | $63,000 |
Security guard pay by city in DelawareOfficial BLS metropolitan area estimates ordered by local guard workforce2 metros
| Metro area | Guards | Median | Average | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PAPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 25,460 | $18 | $20.28 | $21.94 |
| Dover, DEDover, DE | 240 | $16.88 | $18.94 | $21.61 |
Estimate your own pay in DelawareAdjust for unarmed, armed, or supervisor role and your years of experienceRole calculator
$17.31
$17.48
$21.37
$35.28
How this range is calculated & BLS source
- Experience places you inside the state wage distribution: newer guards near the 25th percentile, 7+ years between the 75th and 90th.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), 2025 annual estimates (bls.gov), retrieved 2026-10-16. Ranges are statistical estimates for negotiation context, not a guarantee of pay.
How Delaware compares nationally & data sourceState ranking, wage spread, and Bureau of Labor Statistics methodologyRank #37 of 51
Delaware ranks 37 of 51 for median security guard pay (1 is highest), 4% below the national median of $18.28. The middle half of Delaware guards earned between $17.31 and $21.37 an hour; the top tenth earned $35.28 or more.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), 2025 annual estimates, occupations 33-9032 Security Guards and 33-1091 First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers, Delaware table. Full-time year is hourly pay times 2,080 hours. BLS does not separate armed and unarmed posts.