Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
25 metro areas in California publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 193,230 jobs. The three largest employers of security guards are Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (83,280 jobs), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont (26,830 jobs), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (22,010 jobs), which hold 68.4% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $36,820 to $47,240 a year, against $43,240 for the whole state and $38,020 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $38,020 a year for security guards (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $30,210 and the highest-paid tenth over $58,840). Employment is projected to change by +0.9% between 2025 and 2035, with about 156,000 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: High school diploma or equivalent; on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Security guards in California: the highest median pay is in the Napa, CA area ($47,240 a year); the most jobs are in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area (83,280). Statewide the median is $43,240 with 199,480 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | 760 | $47,240 | $38,510 | $75,590 | 1.18 | 57% | 112.6 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 11,800 | $46,250 | $43,900 | $66,970 | 1.26 | 74% | 110.4 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 26,830 | $45,730 | $40,340 | $62,470 | 1.37 | 65% | 115.6 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 1,560 | $45,160 | $37,770 | $56,850 | 0.92 | 57% | 107.8 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 470 | $43,610 | $36,480 | $67,620 | 0.58 | n/a | n/a |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 800 | $43,250 | $34,990 | $58,300 | 0.48 | 59% | 108.8 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 530 | $42,980 | $35,940 | $99,180 | 0.52 | n/a | n/a |
| Vallejo, CA | 950 | $42,800 | $37,110 | $59,970 | 0.80 | 61% | 108.5 |
| Redding, CA | 490 | $42,330 | $34,460 | $56,730 | 0.84 | 37% | 100.7 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 1,880 | $40,960 | $35,370 | $54,840 | 0.70 | 68% | 110.5 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 83,280 | $40,030 | $36,300 | $56,750 | 1.61 | 62% | 113.6 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 11,930 | $39,460 | $36,500 | $54,060 | 1.34 | 55% | 106.7 |
| Modesto, CA | 930 | $38,990 | $35,880 | $59,010 | 0.58 | 50% | 104.1 |
| Salinas, CA | 1,520 | $38,700 | $35,680 | $56,960 | 0.99 | 64% | 109.0 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 2,970 | $38,530 | $35,510 | $56,050 | 1.24 | 54% | 105.1 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 16,090 | $38,500 | $36,090 | $53,310 | 1.27 | 70% | 111.9 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 2,020 | $38,440 | $34,580 | $54,500 | 0.72 | 41% | 100.9 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 240 | $37,980 | $35,310 | $52,710 | 0.58 | n/a | n/a |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 22,010 | $37,280 | $35,430 | $56,120 | 1.55 | 59% | 106.4 |
| Chico, CA | 340 | $37,250 | $34,320 | $53,900 | 0.53 | 46% | 101.2 |
| El Centro, CA | 670 | $37,230 | $34,320 | $55,380 | 1.24 | n/a | n/a |
| Fresno, CA | 3,620 | $37,180 | $34,320 | $50,450 | 0.92 | 45% | 102.2 |
| Yuba City, CA | 390 | $37,180 | $34,380 | $46,580 | 0.91 | n/a | n/a |
| Visalia, CA | 750 | $37,090 | $34,320 | $53,780 | 0.53 | 41% | 99.8 |
| Merced, CA | 400 | $36,820 | $34,320 | $48,380 | 0.62 | 44% | 98.3 |
National page: Security guards →Cities of California
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Napa, CA area, with a median of $47,240 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area, with 83,280 jobs.