Security Guards pay in Columbia
$36,000avg. a year
$17.31 an hour · 5,290 employed
Security Guards in the Columbia, SC metro area earn an average of $36,000 a year. That is $1,060 (3%) less than the South Carolina average of $37,060. The U.S. average is $42,470.
$35,140Median pay
$17.31Average hourly
-3%vs. South Carolina average
5,290Jobs in this metro
Other South Carolina metro areas
Average pay for security guards in other South Carolina metro areas. Swipe to see all 9.
1770 jobs
Spartanburg, SC
$42,410
$20.39 an hour
2610 jobs
Florence, SC
$41,810
$20.10 an hour
32,190 jobs
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
$39,510
$19.00 an hour
4680 jobs
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC
$39,020
$18.76 an hour
590 jobs
Sumter, SC
$38,350
$18.44 an hour
612,020 jobs
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
$38,340
$18.43 an hour
73,000 jobs
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC
$36,090
$17.35 an hour
83,370 jobs
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
$35,770
$17.20 an hour
91,020 jobs
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC
$33,420
$16.07 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
How Columbia compares
Pay range: metro vs. state vs. U.S.
Annual wage percentiles, May 2025
This metroSouth CarolinaU.S.
South Carolina metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 · this metro highlighted
Related jobs in Columbia
| Job | Avg. pay in this metro |
|---|---|
| Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | $27,250 |
| Crossing Guards and Flaggers | $36,230 |
| Protective Service Workers, All Other | $51,020 |
| School Bus Monitors | $26,960 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | $64,710 |
| Private Detectives and Investigators | $54,860 |
Questions and answers
How much do security guards make in Columbia?
The average is $36,000 a year, and the median is $35,140. About 5,290 people work in this job in the metro area.
Is that more than the South Carolina average?
That is $1,060 (3%) less than the South Carolina average of $37,060.
Is this job common in Columbia?
It makes up 13.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the metro area, 1.63 times the national share.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, occupation code 33-9032. Metro area: Columbia, SC metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 17900). Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.