Is Columbus a strong pay market for Security Guards?

At a $35,800 median, Columbus is $2,220 (6%) below the national median. The U.S. median is $38,020. Jobeezy shows you which local employers actually pay at the top of that band before you apply.

How can I earn more as a Security Guard in Columbus?

Target employers paying toward the $44,880 (75th-percentile) mark and anchor your negotiation to the BLS band. Jobeezy fit-scores Security Guard openings in Columbus and auto-applies, so you reach more high-paying employers fast.

How many Security Guards work in Columbus?

BLS estimates roughly 9,300 security guard jobs across Columbus, OH (May 2025 metro employment — a count of jobs, not of salaries reported).

Security Guard Salary in Columbus, OH (2026)

Median in Columbus: $17.21/hour ($35,800/year) — $2,220 (6%) below the national median. Typical range: $33,520–$44,880.

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BLS OEWS May 2025 · Columbus, OH metro · refreshed 2026-08-25 · Reviewed by Dalton Metzler · U.S. Security Guard salary overview

The median Security Guard salary in Columbus, OH is $17.21/hour ($35,800/year) ($2,220 (6%) below the national median), with a typical range of $33,520–$44,880. Data from BLS + Jobeezy ghost-filter (2026).

Salary stats
Metric	Value	Source
Median	$17.21/hour ($35,800/year)	BLS OEWS May 2025
25th-75th pct	$33,520–$44,880	BLS OEWS May 2025
Metro employment	~9,300	BLS OEWS May 2025

### Key facts: Security Guard pay in Columbus, OH BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data for Security Guards in the Columbus, OH metro. - Median Security Guard pay in Columbus, OH: $17.21/hour ($35,800/year) (BLS OEWS May 2025). - That is $2,220 (6%) below the national median (U.S. median $38,020). - 25th-75th percentile band: $33,520–$44,880. - BLS estimated metro employment: ~9,300 jobs.

Security Guard pay distribution in Columbus, OH

25th Pct (Columbus) $33,520 $16.12/hr

Median (Columbus) $35,800 $17.21/hr

75th Pct (Columbus) $44,880 $21.58/hr

National median: $38,020/yr. Columbus is $2,220 (6%) below the national median.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 — Columbus, OH metro area (SOC 33-9032, Security Guard).

What security guard pay in Columbus really looks like

At about $17.21 an hour ($35,800 a year), Columbus pays modestly below the national market for security guards — $2,220 (6%) under the U.S. median of $38,020. It is a real gap, but a beatable one: the higher end of the local range closes most of it, and a credential or a supervisory step can push a Columbus security guard past the national figure without leaving the metro.

The local range is moderate — $33,520 at the 25th percentile to $44,880 at the 75th (BLS). Half of Columbus Security Guards earn inside that band, so it is a realistic target window: an offer near $44,880 is genuinely strong for the metro, while anything under $33,520 is worth pushing back on with the BLS figures in hand.

This is a substantial local market: BLS estimates roughly 9,300 security guard jobs across the Columbus, OH metro area (a count of metro employment, not a survey of reported salaries). A deep employer base is good news for pay — it means more openings to compare side by side, more turnover creating vacancies, and more leverage to hold out for an employer at the top of the local range instead of settling for the first offer that lands.

Right now, Jobeezy is tracking 24 open security guard jobs in Columbus against the BLS $35,800 benchmark — the live listings and the employers hiring are below, so you can see which openings actually clear the metro median before you apply.

Put it together and the picture for Columbus is concrete: a metro median of $35,800 with most security guards landing between $33,520 and $44,880. The practical move is to aim for the upper half of that band. Jobeezy fit-scores local security guard openings, surfaces the employers posting toward $44,880, and applies for you — so your time goes to the jobs that clear the Columbus median, not the ones that sit under it.

Security Guard pay by hour, week, month & year in Columbus

Period	Typical Pay
Per hour	$17.21
Per week (40 hrs)	$688
Per month	$2,983
Per year	$35,800

How we know this — Columbus sources

Wage figures for Security Guard in Columbus, OH are the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 estimate for the Columbus, OH metro area (MSA code 18140) (SOC 33-9032), released 2026-08-25. Suppressed cells are shown as an em dash, never a zero.

Reviewed by Dalton Metzler · Jobeezy Compensation Data

Grow your security guard pay in Columbus

Advancing your pay in Columbus comes down to experience, credentials, and how you negotiate. We keep that guidance on the national Security Guard guide so it stays current in one place:

Compare Security Guard pay in nearby metros

Beyond Security Guard · same Columbus BLS dataset

Other roles hiring in Columbus, OH alongside security guards, drawn from the same BLS OEWS May 2025 dataset:

See all OH jobs → OH salary overview →

Security Guard pay in Columbus, OH — common questions

How much does a Security Guard make in Columbus, OH?: The median Security Guard salary in Columbus, OH is $17.21/hour ($35,800/year) ($2,220 (6%) below the national median), with a typical range of $33,520–$44,880 (25th–75th percentile). Figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-08-25.
Is Columbus a strong pay market for Security Guards?: At a $35,800 median, Columbus is $2,220 (6%) below the national median. The U.S. median is $38,020. Jobeezy shows you which local employers actually pay at the top of that band before you apply.
How can I earn more as a Security Guard in Columbus?: Target employers paying toward the $44,880 (75th-percentile) mark and anchor your negotiation to the BLS band. Jobeezy fit-scores Security Guard openings in Columbus and auto-applies, so you reach more high-paying employers fast.
How many Security Guards work in Columbus?: BLS estimates roughly 9,300 security guard jobs across Columbus, OH (May 2025 metro employment — a count of jobs, not of salaries reported).