Guard pay in Florida
What security guards make in Florida
Florida has 95,370 security guards. Half earned more than $17.26 an hour (about $36,000 a year full time) in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2025 survey, against $18.28 nationally.
How Florida compares
Florida ranks 41 of 51 for median security guard pay (1 is highest), 6% below the national median of $18.28. The middle half of Florida guards earned between $15.55 and $19 an hour; the top tenth earned $22.16 or more.
Florida's minimum wage is $15.00 an hour from September 30, 2026 (Article X, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution). In the 2025 survey a quarter of Florida guards earned $15.55 an hour or less.
Estimate your own pay
$15.55
$17.26
$19
$22.16
- Experience places you inside the state wage distribution: newer guards near the 25th percentile, 7+ years between the 75th and 90th.
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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), 2025 annual estimates (bls.gov), retrieved 2026-08-30. Ranges are statistical estimates for negotiation context, not a guarantee of pay; local markets, sites, and shifts vary.
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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, Florida table. Full-time year is hourly pay times 2,080 hours. BLS does not separate armed and unarmed posts.