National Salary Info » Security Guards

Highest Paying Industries for Security Guards

The top 100 highest paying industries for security guards (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $49,450, natural gas distribution is the highest paying industry for security guards. It is followed by utilities industry (average annual salary $46,110). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of security guards in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Security Guards

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Natural Gas Distribution	$49,450	$18,900	130
2	Utilities	$46,110	$23,690	4,880
3	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$46,100	$23,930	4,700
4	Securities and Commodity Exchanges	$45,550	$39,910	n/a
5	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$44,210	$21,780	1,270
6	Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities	$43,110	$26,130	370
7	Monetary Authorities-Central Bank	$41,950	$19,770	990
8	Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage	$41,560	$20,460	100
9	Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance	$41,330	$20,120	90
10	Rail Transportation	$41,330	$19,240	160
11	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$40,950	$22,410	550
12	Rubber Product Manufacturing	$40,410	$29,530	60
13	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$40,350	$20,230	2,630
14	Scientific Research and Development Services	$40,290	$20,200	2,660
15	Wired Telecommunications Carriers	$38,650	$24,690	50
16	Other Insurance Related Activities	$38,490	$31,060	130
17	Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities	$38,260	$18,790	40
18	Engineering Services	$37,920	$21,520	940
19	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$37,880	$21,850	1,100
20	Telecommunications	$37,800	$25,190	90
21	Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$37,770	$20,570	1,120
22	Water, Sewage and Other Systems	$37,580	$17,670	40
23	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$37,520	$23,300	3,210
24	Depository Credit Intermediation	$37,320	$19,920	2,120
25	Federal government, including USPS	$37,230	$31,090	4,650
26	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$37,230	$31,090	4,650
27	Motion Picture and Video Exhibition	$37,000	$18,130	1,080
28	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$36,870	$22,770	2,450
29	Metal Ore Mining	$36,870	$24,690	250
30	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	$36,810	$21,240	430
31	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$36,730	$20,020	2,330
32	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$36,480	$20,950	1,010
33	Grocery Stores	$36,400	$21,210	3,860
34	Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories	$36,280	$21,110	60
35	Testing Laboratories	$36,210	$24,670	90
36	Finance and Insurance	$36,060	$20,450	5,220
37	Scheduled Air Transportation	$35,930	$23,170	130
38	Food and Beverage Stores	$35,730	$20,980	4,090
39	Other Financial Investment Activities	$35,600	$24,660	110
40	Credit Intermediation and Related Activities	$35,600	$20,020	2,630
41	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	$35,580	$24,500	50
42	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$35,250	$22,540	3,210
43	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$35,160	$20,370	10,380
44	Other Information Services	$35,140	$22,580	360
45	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$35,100	$21,550	250
46	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$34,900	$20,080	1,440
47	Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers	$34,820	$19,330	70
48	Support Activities for Mining	$34,790	$21,390	90
49	Other Motor Vehicle Dealers	$34,740	$19,340	90
50	Hospitals - State government owned	$34,710	$22,190	3,540
51	Used Merchandise Stores	$34,420	$17,650	230
52	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$34,040	$20,440	36,450
53	Federal, State, and Local Government	$34,040	$20,440	36,450
54	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$33,570	$21,690	220
55	Building Material and Supplies Dealers	$33,510	$23,140	1,840
56	Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	$33,460	$20,900	50
57	Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers	$33,440	$22,400	1,860
58	Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$33,390	$22,270	850
59	Other Schools and Instruction	$33,230	$20,440	360
60	Educational Support Services - Local government owned	$33,130	$24,890	60
61	Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing	$33,100	$19,940	n/a
62	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$33,020	$19,310	26,380
63	Other schools and instruction - Privately owned	$33,010	$20,460	350
64	Ship and Boat Building	$32,780	$19,430	560
65	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Local government owned	$32,650	$25,020	600
66	Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers	$32,620	$20,980	490
67	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$32,610	$23,870	5,430
68	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	$32,550	$18,760	30
69	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$32,530	$21,120	1,230
70	Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers	$32,510	$19,920	260
71	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$32,380	$18,390	500
72	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$32,290	$23,890	1,000
73	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	$32,250	$19,740	150
74	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$32,170	$20,270	890
75	Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Stores	$32,050	$20,580	770
76	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$32,030	$19,280	370
77	Lessors of Real Estate	$31,800	$18,470	14,970
78	Paper Manufacturing	$31,760	$21,120	410
79	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$31,690	$20,740	4,240
80	Hospitals - Local government owned	$31,650	$20,740	4,260
81	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - Privately owned	$31,640	$22,020	740
82	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$31,500	$18,390	60
83	Motion Picture and Video Industries	$31,450	$18,130	1,630
84	Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries	$31,450	$18,130	1,630
85	Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$31,430	$17,440	160
86	Insurance Carriers	$31,430	$20,870	1,080
87	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$31,420	$23,500	1,200
88	Ambulance Services	$31,380	$17,120	140
89	Beverage Manufacturing	$31,330	$20,000	250
90	State government, including schools and hospitals	$31,160	$20,600	18,690
91	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$31,130	$21,520	41,460
92	Junior colleges - Local government owned	$31,130	$20,120	5,300
93	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$31,090	$19,500	99,230
94	Legal Services	$31,080	$18,490	200
95	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$31,080	$19,940	390
96	Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	$31,010	$21,960	260
97	Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing	$30,910	$20,050	260
98	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$30,860	$21,390	37,050
99	Information	$30,850	$18,600	3,060
100	Hospitals - Privately owned	$30,790	$21,570	33,660