PublicPay

Security Guard federal salary series 0085

Full-time federal employees in the Security Guard series earned a median of $57,152 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 48% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $50,460 and $65,811.

Median pay
$57,152
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$50,460–$65,811
25th–75th percentile
Employees
4,005
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+1%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Security Guard
All federal (full-time)

What shapes security guard pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-6 (1,981 employees, median $57,152). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Smithsonian Institution (600 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in New York ($69,376) and lowest in New Mexico ($44,780), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

OPM withheld pay for 73% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Security Guard pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Security Guard pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-4 214 $42,479 $40,304–$46,120
GS-5 396 $51,599 $46,610–$55,932
GS-6 1,981 $57,152 $53,689–$64,080
GS-7 675 $69,284 $61,492–$73,134
GS-8 325 $76,726 $68,494–$83,119

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Security Guard pay by agency

Security Guard pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Smithsonian Institution 600 $62,888 $55,804–$69,376
Department of Health and Human Services 247 $44,907 $41,265–$47,848
Department of the Interior 169 $55,770 $51,402–$60,314
Armed Forces Retirement Home 30 $54,378 $50,280–$60,593

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Security Guard pay by state

The 7 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Security Guard pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
District of Columbia 479 $60,616 $55,420–$67,543
Arizona 153 $47,334 $42,479–$52,957
Maryland 73 $65,811 $57,736–$67,543
New Mexico 71 $44,780 $40,832–$47,848
New York 39 $69,376 $64,813–$75,323
Washington 34 $58,871 $54,244–$61,814
Virginia 30 $62,348 $55,853–$70,728

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Compare security guard pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +1.0% from $56,586 in September 2025 to $57,152 in September 2026. Headcount went from 4,523 to 4,005 (−11.5%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

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