Security Guards salary in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Security Guards in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Michigan tax rules.
The figures
The median Security Guards in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area earns $37,050 a year ($17.81 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Security Guards in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI earn between $34,400 and $47,040 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $29,170 or less and the top 10 percent earn $54,940 or more. BLS estimates 12,570 Security Guards jobs in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area — 6.598 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.8 (below the national concentration). That is 1.0% of all Security Guards employment in the United States (1,283,470 jobs nationally). By employment, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI is the #18 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Security Guards. In aggregate, Security Guards in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI earn about $0.51 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $33,471.78 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Security Guards is about $0.42 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 1.8% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI stands #17 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Security Guards. By employment, Security Guards is the #27 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI. Placed against the national distribution for Security Guards, the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median of $37,050 falls between the national 25th percentile ($35,210) and the national median ($38,020). Across all occupations, the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median is $52,080 a year — Security Guards pay is 28.9% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $19.61 | $40,790 |
| 10th percentile | $14.02 | $29,170 |
| 25th percentile | $16.54 | $34,400 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $17.81 | $37,050 |
| 75th percentile | $22.61 | $47,040 |
| 90th percentile | $26.41 | $54,940 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Security Guards in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI earn 1.9 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($54,940 against $29,170). The middle half spans $12,640 — from $34,400 to $47,040. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($26.41) is 1.88 times the 10th ($14.02). In the upper half of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $47,040 takes home $38,228.34 and the 90th percentile wage of $54,940 takes home $44,240.22 — $6,011.88 more net for $7,900 more gross. Against the median take-home of $30,625.92, the top decile keeps 1.44 times as much. The mean wage of $40,790 sits 10.1% above the median: higher-paid Security Guards pull the average up in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI. Among the 30 covered occupations in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, Security Guards ranks #24 by median pay. In the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI wage ladder of covered occupations, Security Guards sits between Cooks, Restaurant at $37,410 and Stockers and Order Fillers at $36,720. Security Guards accounts for 0.7% of all employment in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area. The average covered metro employs 28,378 Security Guards; Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI employs 0.4 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Michigan
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Michigan; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $37,050.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,266.00 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,297.10 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $537.23 |
| Michigan income tax | $1,323.88 |
| Total deductions | $6,424.08 |
| Net pay (annual) | $30,625.92 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,177.92 |
| Total deduction rate | 17.34% of gross |
At the median, $30,625.92 of the $37,050 gross is kept ($1,177.92 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 17.34%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 15.57% at the 10th percentile, 16.83% at the 25th percentile, 18.73% at the 75th percentile, 19.48% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $9,619.06 on a gross rise of $12,640.
The same engine at the other published points of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($29,170) | $24,629.10 | $947.27 | 15.57% |
| 25th percentile ($34,400) | $28,609.28 | $1,100.36 | 16.83% |
| Median ($37,050) | $30,625.92 | $1,177.92 | 17.34% |
| 75th percentile ($47,040) | $38,228.34 | $1,470.32 | 18.73% |
| 90th percentile ($54,940) | $44,240.22 | $1,701.55 | 19.48% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $24,629.10 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,240.22 at the 90th — a spread of $19,611.12 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median wage of $52,080 takes home $42,063.76 a year ($1,617.84 per paycheck, deduction rate 19.23%). The Security Guards median take-home of $30,625.92 sits $11,437.84 (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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median of $37,050 is $970 (2.6%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $40,790 a year in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI against $42,470 nationally, a gap of $1,680 (4.0%).
Set against the whole local market, the Security Guards 90th percentile of $54,940 is 43% of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI all-occupations 90th percentile ($127,470), and its 10th percentile of $29,170 is 94% of the area-wide 10th ($30,990).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $37,050 | $17.81 | $40,790 |
| United States | $38,020 | $18.28 | $42,470 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Security Guards in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
$37,050 a year ($17.81 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $40,790 a year. Ranked by median pay, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI stands #17 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $37,050 in Michigan?
About $30,625.92 a year ($1,177.92 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 17.34% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $47,040, take-home is $38,228.34.
How does pay in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI compare with the national median for Security Guards?
The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median of $37,050 is $970 (2.6%) below the national median of $38,020 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $54,940, against a national 90th percentile of $58,840.
How much do the top 10% of Security Guards earn in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
$54,940 a year or more ($26.41 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
On $54,940 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $44,240.22 a year ($1,701.55 per biweekly paycheck) in Michigan under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 19.48%.
How many Security Guards jobs are there in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
BLS estimates 12,570 Security Guards jobs in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area — 6.598 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Security Guards jobs in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
The location quotient is 0.8 — below the national concentration. 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
From $24,629.10 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($29,170) to $44,240.22 at the 90th ($54,940), under the same single-filer assumptions in Michigan.
What is the total wage bill for Security Guards in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
About $0.51 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 12,570 multiplied by the mean wage of $40,790.
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.