Security Guards pay in Virginia

In Virginia, the median pay for security guards is $20.98 an hour ($43,640 a year). About 34,870 people work in this job there.

$20.98Median hourly pay

$35,990–$54,850Middle half of workers, yearly

34,870People in this job in Virginia

That is 15% higher than the U.S. median ($38,020). Virginia ranks 10th of 51 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for security guards in Virginia

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$14.90	$30,990
25% of workers	$17.30	$35,990
Half of workers (median)	$20.98	$43,640
75% of workers	$26.37	$54,850
90% of workers	$35.12	$73,060

Security Guards pay in Virginia metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
Lynchburg	$49,480	570
Charlottesville	$42,170	340
Staunton-Stuarts Draft	$41,950	170
Winchester	$37,900	260
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk	$37,230	7,470
Harrisonburg	$37,160	200
Richmond	$36,960	4,630
Roanoke	$36,900	1,300
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford	$36,780	400

Virginia unemployment rate: 3.6% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for security guards

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
Related work experience most have: 1 to 3 months (O*NET)
Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
Job outlook: +0.9% over ten years, little or no change · about 156,000 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in Virginia

Job	Median yearly pay
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	$65,870
Correctional Officers and Jailers	$50,140
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers	$30,070
Protective Service Workers, All Other	$35,230
Public Safety Telecommunicators	$50,490
First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers	$60,790
Crossing Guards and Flaggers	$37,560
Transportation Security Screeners	$69,910

Other job titles for this job

CsoSecurity AgentCpoClosed Circuit Screen WatcherLoss Prevention OfficerSecurity OfficerGate GuardGate WatchmanProtective OfficerSecurity Patrol OfficerAlarm InvestigatorArmed Security Officer

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.