Guard pay in Florida · Rank #41 of 51
What security guards make in Florida
95,370 employed officers · $17.26/hr median ($36,000/yr) · $18.08/hr average.
Statewide pay by percentile in Florida25th, Median, Average, 75th, 90th percentile, and Supervisor rates (BLS 2025)$17.26/hr median
| Security guards, Florida | Hourly | Full-time year |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $15.55 | $32,500 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $17.26 | $36,000 |
| Average (mean) | $18.08 | $37,500 |
| 75th percentile | $19 | $39,500 |
| 90th percentile | $22.16 | $46,000 |
| Supervisors, median | $22.67 | $47,000 |
Security guard pay by city in FloridaOfficial BLS metropolitan area estimates ordered by local guard workforce6 metros
| Metro area | Guards | Median | Average | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami, FLMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 41,530 | $17.33 | $18.22 | $19.13 |
| Orlando, FLOrlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 14,870 | $17.07 | $17.67 | $18.13 |
| Tampa, FLTampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 12,200 | $17.31 | $18.30 | $20.39 |
| Jacksonville, FLJacksonville, FL | 7,430 | $16.99 | $17.86 | $18.63 |
| North Port, FLNorth Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 2,590 | $17.81 | $18.63 | $20.61 |
| Cape Coral, FLCape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 2,330 | $16.68 | $17.58 | $18.06 |
Estimate your own pay in FloridaAdjust for unarmed, armed, or supervisor role and your years of experienceRole calculator
$15.55
$17.26
$19
$22.16
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 Florida compares nationally & data sourceState ranking, wage spread, and Bureau of Labor Statistics methodologyRank #41 of 51
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.
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.