Guard pay in Virginia · Rank #10 of 51
What security guards make in Virginia
34,870 employed officers · $20.98/hr median ($43,500/yr) · $22.63/hr average.
Statewide pay by percentile in Virginia25th, Median, Average, 75th, 90th percentile, and Supervisor rates (BLS 2025)$20.98/hr median
| Security guards, Virginia | Hourly | Full-time year |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $17.30 | $36,000 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $20.98 | $43,500 |
| Average (mean) | $22.63 | $47,000 |
| 75th percentile | $26.37 | $55,000 |
| 90th percentile | $35.12 | $73,000 |
| Supervisors, median | $29.23 | $61,000 |
Security guard pay by city in VirginiaOfficial BLS metropolitan area estimates ordered by local guard workforce4 metros
| Metro area | Guards | Median | Average | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DCWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 40,950 | $22.52 | $26.17 | $34.15 |
| Virginia Beach, VAVirginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 7,470 | $17.90 | $20.33 | $22.47 |
| Richmond, VARichmond, VA | 4,630 | $17.77 | $20.27 | $22.14 |
| Roanoke, VARoanoke, VA | 1,300 | $17.74 | $20.09 | $22.01 |
Estimate your own pay in VirginiaAdjust for unarmed, armed, or supervisor role and your years of experienceRole calculator
$17.30
$20.98
$26.37
$35.12
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 Virginia compares nationally & data sourceState ranking, wage spread, and Bureau of Labor Statistics methodologyRank #10 of 51
Virginia ranks 10 of 51 for median security guard pay (1 is highest), 15% above the national median of $18.28. The middle half of Virginia guards earned between $17.30 and $26.37 an hour; the top tenth earned $35.12 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, Virginia table. Full-time year is hourly pay times 2,080 hours. BLS does not separate armed and unarmed posts.