Guard pay in West Virginia

What security guards make in West Virginia

West Virginia has 5,200 security guards. Half earned more than $13.85 an hour (about $29,000 a year full time) in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2025 survey, against $18.28 nationally.

Security guards, West Virginia	Hourly	Full-time year
25th percentile	$10	$21,000
Median	$13.85	$29,000
75th percentile	$17.31	$36,000
90th percentile	$22.78	$47,500
Supervisors, median	$22.04	$46,000

How West Virginia compares

West Virginia ranks 51 of 51 for median security guard pay (1 is highest), 24% below the national median of $18.28. The middle half of West Virginia guards earned between $10 and $17.31 an hour; the top tenth earned $22.78 or more.

Estimate your own pay

Your stateRoleExperience

$12–$15.50 /hr≈ $25,000–$32,000 a year full-time

you: $12–$15.50

25th
$10

median
$13.85

75th
$17.31

90th
$22.78

West Virginia guard median: $13.85/hr (-24% vs the national $18.28)5,200 guards employed in West Virginia

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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West Virginia license requirements

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, West Virginia table. Full-time year is hourly pay times 2,080 hours. BLS does not separate armed and unarmed posts.