Guard pay in New York · Rank #9 of 51
What security guards make in New York
134,700 employed officers · $21.27/hr median ($44,000/yr) · $22.33/hr average.
Statewide pay by percentile in New York25th, Median, Average, 75th, 90th percentile, and Supervisor rates (BLS 2025)$21.27/hr median
| Security guards, New York | Hourly | Full-time year |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $17.89 | $37,000 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $21.27 | $44,000 |
| Average (mean) | $22.33 | $46,500 |
| 75th percentile | $24.93 | $52,000 |
| 90th percentile | $29.13 | $60,500 |
| Supervisors, median | $28.79 | $60,000 |
Security guard pay by city in New YorkOfficial 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 |
| Buffalo, NYBuffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 3,860 | $18.47 | $20.91 | $23.75 |
| Rochester, NYRochester, NY | 3,300 | $20.61 | $21.76 | $23.67 |
| Kiryas Joel, NYKiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 3,080 | $20.63 | $21.71 | $24.14 |
| Albany, NYAlbany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 2,340 | $20.80 | $21.74 | $24.53 |
| Syracuse, NYSyracuse, NY | 1,770 | $21.66 | $23.04 | $25 |
Estimate your own pay in New YorkAdjust for unarmed, armed, or supervisor role and your years of experienceRole calculator
$17.89
$21.27
$24.93
$29.13
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 York compares nationally & data sourceState ranking, wage spread, and Bureau of Labor Statistics methodologyRank #9 of 51
New York ranks 9 of 51 for median security guard pay (1 is highest), 16% above the national median of $18.28. The middle half of New York guards earned between $17.89 and $24.93 an hour; the top tenth earned $29.13 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 York table. Full-time year is hourly pay times 2,080 hours. BLS does not separate armed and unarmed posts.