Guard pay in West Virginia · Rank #51 of 51
What security guards make in West Virginia
5,200 employed officers · $13.85/hr median ($29,000/yr) · $15.06/hr average.
Statewide pay by percentile in West Virginia25th, Median, Average, 75th, 90th percentile, and Supervisor rates (BLS 2025)$13.85/hr median
| Security guards, West Virginia | Hourly | Full-time year |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $10 | $21,000 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $13.85 | $29,000 |
| Average (mean) | $15.06 | $31,500 |
| 75th percentile | $17.31 | $36,000 |
| 90th percentile | $22.78 | $47,500 |
| Supervisors, median | $22.04 | $46,000 |
Security guard pay by city in West VirginiaOfficial BLS metropolitan area estimates ordered by local guard workforce5 metros
| Metro area | Guards | Median | Average | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DCWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 40,950 | $22.52 | $26.17 | $34.15 |
| Charleston, WVCharleston, WV | 2,160 | $10 | $12.93 | $15.99 |
| Hagerstown, MDHagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 760 | $16.34 | $18.57 | $21.10 |
| Huntington, WVHuntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 700 | $16.73 | $17.31 | $18.59 |
| Morgantown, WVMorgantown, WV | 360 | $16.49 | $17.10 | $18.85 |
Estimate your own pay in West VirginiaAdjust for unarmed, armed, or supervisor role and your years of experienceRole calculator
$10
$13.85
$17.31
$22.78
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 West Virginia compares nationally & data sourceState ranking, wage spread, and Bureau of Labor Statistics methodologyRank #51 of 51
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.
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.