Armed vs unarmed security guard pay
Armed security guards make USD 3.09 more an hour than unarmed guards: USD 22.06 against USD 18.97. That is about 16% more, from 1036 armed and 3459 unarmed job posts that show the pay (Oct 21, 2026).
The difference by state
States with at least 5 armed and 5 unarmed jobs that show the pay.
| State | Armed | Unarmed | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | USD 33.70 (66) | USD 18.87 (302) | +14.83 |
| Connecticut | USD 34.25 (12) | USD 20.48 (31) | +13.77 |
| Hawaii | USD 34.50 (13) | USD 23.59 (78) | +10.91 |
| Oregon | USD 30.00 (8) | USD 20.20 (12) | +9.80 |
| Pennsylvania | USD 25.80 (22) | USD 18.00 (164) | +7.80 |
| Ohio | USD 25.00 (31) | USD 17.98 (215) | +7.02 |
| Kentucky | USD 25.00 (5) | USD 18.00 (70) | +7.00 |
| Georgia | USD 24.16 (29) | USD 17.50 (110) | +6.66 |
| Maryland | USD 25.69 (6) | USD 19.27 (28) | +6.42 |
| Indiana | USD 23.00 (7) | USD 17.75 (98) | +5.25 |
| Oklahoma | USD 21.00 (13) | USD 16.00 (10) | +5.00 |
| Minnesota | USD 25.60 (9) | USD 20.84 (34) | +4.76 |
| North Carolina | USD 21.50 (72) | USD 16.89 (180) | +4.61 |
| Tennessee | USD 22.04 (14) | USD 17.70 (76) | +4.34 |
| Massachusetts | USD 25.88 (25) | USD 21.72 (53) | +4.16 |
| Missouri | USD 22.13 (14) | USD 18.02 (64) | +4.11 |
| California | USD 26.41 (92) | USD 22.50 (489) | +3.91 |
| Mississippi | USD 19.50 (10) | USD 15.66 (29) | +3.84 |
| Florida | USD 21.91 (114) | USD 18.16 (152) | +3.75 |
| Texas | USD 20.59 (192) | USD 16.91 (192) | +3.68 |
| Illinois | USD 23.38 (15) | USD 19.75 (98) | +3.63 |
| Virginia | USD 22.10 (73) | USD 19.00 (226) | +3.10 |
| New Mexico | USD 21.00 (12) | USD 18.13 (24) | +2.88 |
| Arizona | USD 23.00 (23) | USD 20.50 (71) | +2.50 |
| Arkansas | USD 18.50 (17) | USD 16.50 (15) | +2.00 |
| Colorado | USD 24.50 (15) | USD 22.65 (44) | +1.85 |
| Alabama | USD 18.05 (13) | USD 16.50 (45) | +1.55 |
| South Carolina | USD 18.78 (29) | USD 17.50 (103) | +1.28 |
| Kansas | USD 21.12 (10) | USD 20.01 (26) | +1.11 |
| Utah | USD 22.00 (10) | USD 21.00 (38) | +1.00 |
| Nevada | USD 21.43 (20) | USD 20.50 (26) | +0.93 |
| Louisiana | USD 16.50 (16) | USD 15.88 (16) | +0.62 |
Numbers in brackets are how many jobs were counted. Small groups move a lot from day to day.
What an armed job asks for
Armed posts need a state firearms permit or an armed guard license on top of the basic guard card, and more training. Rules differ by state: see how to become a security guard for your state's rules.
How we counted: 9,834 of the 14,579 jobs on this site on Oct 21, 2026 state an hourly pay. When a job gives a range, we use the middle of the range. Pay comes from the employers' own job posts, not from surveys. These numbers update every day.