Guard pay in Washington · Rank #3 of 51
What security guards make in Washington
25,800 employed officers · $22.64/hr median ($47,000/yr) · $24.41/hr average.
Statewide pay by percentile in Washington25th, Median, Average, 75th, 90th percentile, and Supervisor rates (BLS 2025)$22.64/hr median
| Security guards, Washington | Hourly | Full-time year |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $20.21 | $42,000 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $22.64 | $47,000 |
| Average (mean) | $24.41 | $51,000 |
| 75th percentile | $27.40 | $57,000 |
| 90th percentile | $32.88 | $68,500 |
| Supervisors, median | $30.05 | $62,500 |
Security guard pay by city in WashingtonOfficial BLS metropolitan area estimates ordered by local guard workforce4 metros
| Metro area | Guards | Median | Average | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WASeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 17,030 | $22.83 | $24.71 | $27.88 |
| Portland, ORPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 9,110 | $22.51 | $23.06 | $23.59 |
| Spokane, WASpokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 2,270 | $19.86 | $21.93 | $23.82 |
| Olympia, WAOlympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 840 | $21.12 | $23.55 | $26.36 |
Estimate your own pay in WashingtonAdjust for unarmed, armed, or supervisor role and your years of experienceRole calculator
$20.21
$22.64
$27.40
$32.88
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 Washington compares nationally & data sourceState ranking, wage spread, and Bureau of Labor Statistics methodologyRank #3 of 51
Washington ranks 3 of 51 for median security guard pay (1 is highest), 24% above the national median of $18.28. The middle half of Washington guards earned between $20.21 and $27.40 an hour; the top tenth earned $32.88 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, Washington table. Full-time year is hourly pay times 2,080 hours. BLS does not separate armed and unarmed posts.