SOC 33-9032 · Stockton-Lodi, CA metro

Security Guards Salary in Stockton, CA

The average salary for security guards in Stockton, California is $42,480 a year ($20.42 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $38,530: half of the 2,970 people in this job in the Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($42,470).

$42,480average per year

$20.42 / hourMedian $38,530Take-home ≈ $35,478

  • $36K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $56K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

2,970people in this job
+0%vs U.S. average
#17 of 25California metros
105cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Security Guards pay range in Stockton

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,510 a year or less, while the top 10% make $56,050 or more. The middle half of security guards in Stockton earn between $35,850 and $46,400.

  • $36K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $56K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$42,480$3,540$20.42
Median$38,530$3,211$18.52
Entry level (25th percentile)$35,850$2,988$17.24
Experienced (75th percentile)$46,400$3,867$22.31

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Security Guards pay in Stockton vs. California and the U.S.

Security guards in Stockton earn 5% less than the California average ($44,920) and about the same as the U.S. average ($42,470). At the median the gap is +1% against the U.S. median of $38,020.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Stockton$42,480$38,530$35,510$56,0502,970
California$44,920$43,240$36,010$57,880199,480
United States$42,470$38,020$30,210$58,8401,283,470

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Security Guards salary after taxes in Stockton

On the average salary of $42,480, a single filer in Stockton takes home about $35,478 a year, or $2,956 a month and $1,365 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Stockton a good place for security guards? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Stockton area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.1), so the average $42,480 buys what about $40,423 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Stockton ($48,990). A typical home costs $531,785, or 12.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $42,480 is worth in another city

Security Guards salary in other California cities

Stockton ranks 17th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Luis Obispo pays the most ($51,110).

All Security Guards salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for security guards

Idaho Falls, ID pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($68,260).

Security Guards salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Security Guards in Stockton, CA.

Security Guards salary in Stockton: questions

How much do security guards make an hour in Stockton?

$20.42 an hour on average, and $18.52 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level security guards salary in Stockton?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,510 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,850, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the security guards take-home pay in Stockton?

About $35,478 a year ($2,956 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $42,480. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do security guards earn more in Stockton than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($42,470).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 33-9032; area Stockton-Lodi, CA (44700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.24, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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