Security Guards salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Security Guards in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Georgia tax rules.
The figures
The median Security Guards in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area earns $35,150 a year ($16.90 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Security Guards in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA earn between $33,090 and $39,330 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $30,000 or less and the top 10 percent earn $48,010 or more. BLS estimates 22,730 Security Guards jobs in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA area — 7.866 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.95 (about the same concentration as the nation). That is 1.8% of all Security Guards employment in the United States (1,283,470 jobs nationally). By employment, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA is the #11 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Security Guards. In aggregate, Security Guards in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA earn about $0.88 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $32,160.78 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Security Guards is about $0.73 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 1.6% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA stands #24 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Security Guards. By employment, Security Guards is the #26 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA. Placed against the national distribution for Security Guards, the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median of $35,150 falls below the national 25th percentile of $35,210. Across all occupations, the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median is $51,170 a year — Security Guards pay is 31.3% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $18.65 | $38,790 |
| 10th percentile | $14.42 | $30,000 |
| 25th percentile | $15.91 | $33,090 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $16.90 | $35,150 |
| 75th percentile | $18.91 | $39,330 |
| 90th percentile | $23.08 | $48,010 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Security Guards in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA earn 1.6 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($48,010 against $30,000). The middle half spans $6,240 — from $33,090 to $39,330. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($23.08) is 1.60 times the 10th ($14.42). In the upper half of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $39,330 takes home $32,567.66 and the 90th percentile wage of $48,010 takes home $39,108.90 — $6,541.24 more net for $8,680 more gross. Against the median take-home of $29,417.78, the top decile keeps 1.33 times as much. The mean wage of $38,790 sits 10.4% above the median: higher-paid Security Guards pull the average up in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA. Among the 30 covered occupations in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, Security Guards ranks #25 by median pay. In the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA wage ladder of covered occupations, Security Guards sits between Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners at $35,940 and Retail Salespersons at $32,850. Security Guards accounts for 0.8% of all employment in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area. The average covered metro employs 28,378 Security Guards; Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA employs 0.8 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Georgia
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Georgia; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $35,150.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,038.00 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,179.30 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $509.68 |
| Georgia income tax | $1,005.49 |
| Total deductions | $5,732.22 |
| Net pay (annual) | $29,417.78 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,131.45 |
| Total deduction rate | 16.31% of gross |
At the median, $29,417.78 of the $35,150 gross is kept ($1,131.45 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 16.31%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 14.88% at the 10th percentile, 15.79% at the 25th percentile, 17.19% at the 75th percentile, 18.54% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $4,702.62 on a gross rise of $6,240.
The same engine at the other published points of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($30,000) | $25,536.32 | $982.17 | 14.88% |
| 25th percentile ($33,090) | $27,865.04 | $1,071.73 | 15.79% |
| Median ($35,150) | $29,417.78 | $1,131.45 | 16.31% |
| 75th percentile ($39,330) | $32,567.66 | $1,252.60 | 17.19% |
| 90th percentile ($48,010) | $39,108.90 | $1,504.19 | 18.54% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $25,536.32 a year at the 10th percentile to $39,108.90 at the 90th — a spread of $13,572.58 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median wage of $51,170 takes home $41,490.20 a year ($1,595.78 per paycheck, deduction rate 18.92%). The Security Guards median take-home of $29,417.78 sits $12,072.42 (below that area-wide figure.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Security Guards earns $38,020 a year ($18.28 an hour). The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median of $35,150 is $2,870 (7.5%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $38,790 a year in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA against $42,470 nationally, a gap of $3,680 (8.7%).
Set against the whole local market, the Security Guards 90th percentile of $48,010 is 36% of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA all-occupations 90th percentile ($132,230), and its 10th percentile of $30,000 is 103% of the area-wide 10th ($29,110).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $35,150 | $16.90 | $38,790 |
| United States | $38,020 | $18.28 | $42,470 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Security Guards in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
$35,150 a year ($16.90 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $38,790 a year. Ranked by median pay, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA stands #24 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $35,150 in Georgia?
About $29,417.78 a year ($1,131.45 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 16.31% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $39,330, take-home is $32,567.66.
How does pay in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA compare with the national median for Security Guards?
The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median of $35,150 is $2,870 (7.5%) below the national median of $38,020 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $48,010, against a national 90th percentile of $58,840.
How much do the top 10% of Security Guards earn in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
$48,010 a year or more ($23.08 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Security Guards in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
On $48,010 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $39,108.90 a year ($1,504.19 per biweekly paycheck) in Georgia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 18.54%.
How many Security Guards jobs are there in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
BLS estimates 22,730 Security Guards jobs in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area — 7.866 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Security Guards jobs in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
The location quotient is 0.95 — about the same concentration as the nation. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Security Guards in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
From $25,536.32 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($30,000) to $39,108.90 at the 90th ($48,010), under the same single-filer assumptions in Georgia.
What is the total wage bill for Security Guards in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
About $0.88 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 22,730 multiplied by the mean wage of $38,790.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.