Security Guards · SOC 33-9032
Security Guards Salary in the Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area
Figures describe the Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area, a BLS-defined region outside metropolitan areas — not a single city or town.
Security Guards in the Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area earned a median of $29,590 per year ($14.22 per hour) as of the May 2025 BLS OEWS estimates. Pay ranged from $22,380 at the 10th percentile to $47,760 at the 90th. BLS estimates 380 people work in this occupation in the area.
Pay distribution
Half of Security Guards in the Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area earn more than $29,590 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $23,070 and $38,070.
| Wage | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $22,380 | $23,070 | $29,590 | $38,070 | $47,760 |
| Hourly | $10.76 | $11.09 | $14.22 | $18.30 | $22.96 |
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares
- Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area$29,590 median for Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area; middle half earns $23,070 to $38,070
- West Virginiastate$28,800 median for West Virginia; middle half earns $20,800 to $35,990
- United Statesnational$38,020 median for United States; middle half earns $35,210 to $46,200
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is +3% vs West Virginia overall and −22% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Other metro areas in West Virginia
Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for security guards, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
- Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan areathis page$29,590 median for Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area; middle half earns $23,070 to $38,070
- $34,800 median for Huntington metro area; middle half earns $29,410 to $38,670
- $34,290 median for Morgantown metro area; middle half earns $29,480 to $39,200
- $31,230 median for Weirton metro area; middle half earns $25,620 to $43,820
- $30,960 median for Wheeling metro area; middle half earns $24,630 to $35,570
- $29,730 median for Parkersburg metro area; middle half earns $23,080 to $36,140
- $20,800 median for Charleston metro area; middle half earns $20,800 to $33,260
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
Keep exploring
Other occupations in the same SOC group with published medians here, largest employment first:
Highest-paying metro areas for security guardss · Highest-paying occupations in Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area
About this estimate
These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.