Guard pay in New Jersey · Rank #23 of 51
What security guards make in New Jersey
41,540 employed officers · $18.69/hr median ($39,000/yr) · $20.92/hr average.
Statewide pay by percentile in New Jersey25th, Median, Average, 75th, 90th percentile, and Supervisor rates (BLS 2025)$18.69/hr median
| Security guards, New Jersey | Hourly | Full-time year |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $16.71 | $35,000 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $18.69 | $39,000 |
| Average (mean) | $20.92 | $43,500 |
| 75th percentile | $23.14 | $48,000 |
| 90th percentile | $29.05 | $60,500 |
| Supervisors, median | $29.61 | $61,500 |
Security guard pay by city in New JerseyOfficial BLS metropolitan area estimates ordered by local guard workforce6 metros
| Metro area | Guards | Median | Average | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NYNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 142,760 | $21.15 | $22.18 | $24.77 |
| Philadelphia, PAPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 25,460 | $18 | $20.28 | $21.94 |
| Trenton, NJTrenton-Princeton, NJ | 3,110 | $16.82 | $20.04 | $22.62 |
| Atlantic, NJAtlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 2,870 | $19.18 | $19.93 | $21.47 |
| Allentown, PAAllentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 2,570 | $17.32 | $19.18 | $21.34 |
| Vineland, NJVineland, NJ | 390 | $19.36 | $21.23 | $22.89 |
Estimate your own pay in New JerseyAdjust for unarmed, armed, or supervisor role and your years of experienceRole calculator
$16.71
$18.69
$23.14
$29.05
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 New Jersey compares nationally & data sourceState ranking, wage spread, and Bureau of Labor Statistics methodologyRank #23 of 51
New Jersey ranks 23 of 51 for median security guard pay (1 is highest), 2% above the national median of $18.28. The middle half of New Jersey guards earned between $16.71 and $23.14 an hour; the top tenth earned $29.05 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, New Jersey table. Full-time year is hourly pay times 2,080 hours. BLS does not separate armed and unarmed posts.