Security Guards Average Salary in District of Columbia
$60,720 average · $60,720 median · BLS OEWS 2025
SOC Code: 33-9032What is this?
This page shows employer-reported wages for Security Guards in District of Columbia, drawn from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey — median and mean pay, the full percentile distribution, and the industries that employ this occupation locally. For public-safety roles, jurisdiction is nearly everything: the same job pays dramatically differently across cities and states, and overtime commonly adds 20-40% to the base wages shown here. Rank progression is the internal ladder. For private security, armed/specialized credentials and site type create the more modest variation visible at the lower end of the distribution.
How much do Security Guards make in District of Columbia?
The average security guards salary in District of Columbia is $60,720 per year. That works out to about $29.19 per hour on average. BLS counts roughly 15,880 security guards jobs in District of Columbia.
Mean and median are close, so pay is relatively concentrated around $60,720. Entry-level roles (10th percentile) report about $60,720; experienced workers at the 90th percentile report about $60,720 — a 0% spread from bottom to top. Figures are employer-reported wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — not self-reported survey averages — so they are the right baseline for offers, raises, and relocation decisions in this market.
How Protective Service Careers Are Structured
Protective service wages — police, fire, corrections, security — split sharply between the public-safety core, with civil-service pay scales, strong benefits, and pensions, and private security, with little of any of those. The two halves share a group code but not an economic reality, and the spread in this data reflects that split.
The wage tables and percentile chart on this page show how security guards pay is distributed in District of Columbia specifically — and because state-level wages for the same occupation routinely differ by 30% or more, the local figures here are the ones that matter for offers, raises, and relocation decisions in this market.
What Moves Pay in This Field
For public-safety roles, jurisdiction is nearly everything: the same job pays dramatically differently across cities and states, and overtime commonly adds 20-40% to the base wages shown here. Rank progression is the internal ladder. For private security, armed/specialized credentials and site type create the more modest variation visible at the lower end of the distribution.
Public-safety entry runs through civil-service testing and academies, with hiring tied to municipal budget cycles — timing applications across multiple jurisdictions matters. The headline wage understates these careers: defined-benefit pensions and retirement eligibility at 50-55 are worth a substantial wage premium that no salary table captures.
New to reading wage distributions? Our guide to salary percentiles explains how to place yourself on the chart above, and the negotiation playbook shows how to use these numbers in an actual conversation.
What Do Security Guards Do?
Security Guards positions belong to the protective service field. Protective service wages — police, fire, corrections, security — split sharply between the public-safety core, with civil-service pay scales, strong benefits, and pensions, and private security, with little of any of those. The two halves share a group code but not an economic reality, and the spread in this data reflects that split.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 33-9032
Security Guards pay in District of Columbia
In District of Columbia, security guards report a median of $60,720 (about $29.19/hour) across roughly 15,880 jobs. The local pay band runs from about $60,720 at the 10th percentile to $60,720 at the 90th.
Compared with the national distribution, local industry mix and cost of living are the main reasons District of Columbia wages for this occupation sit where they do — toggle Regional Price Parity on this page to see purchasing-power-adjusted pay.
What your paycheck is really worth in District of Columbia
Prices in District of Columbia run 10% above the national average (RPP 109.9). So a nominal salary of $60,720 has the buying power of about $55,250 in national terms.
District of Columbia vs. United States for Security Guards
The median security guards salary in District of Columbia is $60,720, which is +44.3% above the national median of $42,070 (mean pay is +42.6% above the U.S. mean of $42,595). Among 51 states and D.C. with OEWS data, District of Columbia ranks #1 by median wage for this occupation (top tier). District of Columbia accounts for about 0.2% of U.S. security guards employment in the latest OEWS release.
See every state ranked for this occupation on the best-paying states page, or compare purchasing power on real wages.
Income reality check
The median salary for Security Guards in District of Columbia of $60,720 falls in the Middle class band of this framework - roughly ~10% of the U.S. population and ~10% of the global population sit in this band.
Illustrative relative standing for education only - this ladder is a simplified framework, not an official Census, BLS, or World Bank statistical series. Salary figures on Wage Atlas come from official BLS OEWS data.
Salary Overview
Salary Distribution & Your Position
Advance Your Career
Ready to level up? Find courses, certifications, and coaching to boost your salary potential.
AI Replacement Risk Analysis
Forward-looking analysis of automation and AI impact
- Physical presence and manual skills required
Includes risk scoring, timeline estimates, adaptation strategies, and more
Occupation Report Card
Top Industries for Security Guards
| $47,930 | $46,543 | $23 | 109,650 | |
| $46,370 | $44,700 | $22 | 119,410 | |
| $45,507 | $43,209 | $22 | 281,950 | |
| $41,355 | $37,345 | $20 | 3,130,660 | |
SOC: 455000 | $36,010 | $35,190 | $17 | 103,480 |
Related Occupations
SOC: 43-6014 • 90% match | $49,337 | $49,060 | $24 | 10,024,720 |
SOC: 43-4051 • 78% match | $46,601 | $46,590 | $22 | 13,746,580 |
SOC: 35-3011 • 76% match | $40,983 | $41,300 | $20 | 4,118,070 |
SOC: 35-3031 • 89% match | $40,070 | $40,060 | $19 | 13,138,520 |
| Find Waiters and Waitresses Jobs | ||||
SOC: 37-2011 • 83% match | $39,122 | $38,760 | $19 | 12,706,340 |
SOC: 31-1120 • 81% match | $36,156 | $36,010 | $17 | 48,535,960 |
Related Occupations
Explore similar occupations and career paths:
Security Guards in Other States
Compare salaries for this occupation across different states:
Explore More Data for Security Guards
Career Advancement Strategy
Skills to Develop
Fastest growing skill in marketing technology
High ROI focus drives salary premiums
Data-driven marketing is becoming standard
Essential for senior marketing roles
Required for VP and C-level positions
Explore Similar Careers
Related Metrics
Viewing: Security Guards (SOC: 33-9032)