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Security Guards Salary in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

SOC 33-9032 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · BLS OEWS May 2025

Median Annual Salary
$38,501
$18.51/hr
1.3% higher than the US national median ($38,022)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Security Guards in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad is $38,501 per year ($18.51/hr). This is 1.3% higher than the national median of $38,022.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules. May operate x-ray and metal detector equipment.

Wage Percentiles: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · BLS metro data
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salaryvs National
P50 MEDIAN$18.51$38,501+1.3%
P10$17.35$36,088--
P25$17.86$37,149--
P75$21.91$45,573--
P90$25.63$53,310--
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Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+0.4%
Little or no change
Annual openings
161K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
1.3M
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Investigation and Security Services
NAICS 561600
769K$37,350
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
58K$45,090
Wage range across top 5 industries: $37,350 to $45,090 (21% spread)
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median security guards salary in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?

The median (P50) annual salary for Security Guards in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad is approximately $38,501, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 1.3% higher than the national median of $38,022. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.

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About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

About CompSignal

CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.

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