Guard pay in Texas · Rank #40 of 51
What security guards make in Texas
106,210 employed officers · $17.30/hr median ($36,000/yr) · $18.54/hr average.
Statewide pay by percentile in Texas25th, Median, Average, 75th, 90th percentile, and Supervisor rates (BLS 2025)$17.30/hr median
| Security guards, Texas | Hourly | Full-time year |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $14.08 | $29,500 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $17.30 | $36,000 |
| Average (mean) | $18.54 | $38,500 |
| 75th percentile | $20.98 | $43,500 |
| 90th percentile | $24.40 | $51,000 |
| Supervisors, median | $22.47 | $46,500 |
Security guard pay by city in TexasOfficial BLS metropolitan area estimates ordered by local guard workforce6 metros
| Metro area | Guards | Median | Average | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TXDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 34,000 | $17.63 | $19.31 | $21.77 |
| Houston, TXHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 29,250 | $17.05 | $18.40 | $20.61 |
| San Antonio, TXSan Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 11,420 | $16.96 | $17.61 | $18.75 |
| Austin, TXAustin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 8,410 | $18.23 | $19.95 | $22.34 |
| McAllen, TXMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 4,100 | $14.08 | $15.04 | $17.29 |
| El Paso, TXEl Paso, TX | 3,700 | $14.30 | $16.06 | $17.87 |
Estimate your own pay in TexasAdjust for unarmed, armed, or supervisor role and your years of experienceRole calculator
$14.08
$17.30
$20.98
$24.40
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 Texas compares nationally & data sourceState ranking, wage spread, and Bureau of Labor Statistics methodologyRank #40 of 51
Texas ranks 40 of 51 for median security guard pay (1 is highest), 5% below the national median of $18.28. The middle half of Texas guards earned between $14.08 and $20.98 an hour; the top tenth earned $24.40 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, Texas table. Full-time year is hourly pay times 2,080 hours. BLS does not separate armed and unarmed posts.