Guard pay in Virginia
What security guards make in Virginia
Virginia has 34,870 security guards. Half earned more than $20.98 an hour (about $43,500 a year full time) in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2025 survey, against $18.28 nationally.
How Virginia compares
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.
Estimate your own pay
$17.30
$20.98
$26.37
$35.12
- Experience places you inside the state wage distribution: newer guards near the 25th percentile, 7+ years between the 75th and 90th.
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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), 2025 annual estimates (bls.gov), retrieved 2026-08-30. Ranges are statistical estimates for negotiation context, not a guarantee of pay; local markets, sites, and shifts vary.
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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.