Security Guards Salary in Portland, OR (2024)
Security Guards in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area earn a median of $44,960 per year ($21.61 per hour) based on 8,260 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +17.2% against the national median of $38,370 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where security guards actually sit across the pay range in Portland, OR, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.22 | $37,900 | |
| 25th percentile | $18.91 | $39,340 | |
| Median | $21.61 | $44,960 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $23.54 | $48,970 | |
| 90th percentile | $32.80 | $68,230 | |
| Average (mean) | $23.38 | $48,640 |
How Portland, OR compares
The local median of $44,960 runs +17.2% above the US median of $38,370 for this occupation; it pays 23.8% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($59,040); within the metro it ranks 567th of 664 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR — this occupation | $44,960 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $38,370 | +17.2% |
| Portland, OR — all occupations | $59,040 | -23.8% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $48,400 | -7.1% |
A location quotient of 0.84 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.7%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 567th of 664 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Portland, OR
To put $44,960 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 567th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Dentists, General | $184,420 | 760 |
| Pediatricians, General | $181,990 | 600 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $178,210 | — |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $174,100 | 130 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $170,410 | — |
| Medical Dosimetrists | $170,220 | 30 |
| Pharmacists | $169,520 | 2,420 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $169,510 | 650 |
| Marketing Managers | $165,000 | 4,440 |
| Lawyers | $161,420 | 5,600 |
Where security guards earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $32,480 to $48,400. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $48,400 | 16,320 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $47,260 | 39,200 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $46,740 | 25,400 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $46,270 | 11,100 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $46,080 | 10,620 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $45,300 | 19,650 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $44,960 | 8,260 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $42,940 | 77,910 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $42,030 | 138,940 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $41,380 | 13,370 |
See the full national picture on the Security Guards salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for security guards in Portland, OR?
The median annual wage is $44,960, or $22 per hour. That means half of the security guards working in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $48,640.
What do the highest and lowest paid security guards in Portland, OR earn?
The bottom 10% earn $37,900 or less, while the top 10% earn $68,230 or more — a spread of $30,330 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $39,340 and $48,970.
Is security guards pay in Portland, OR above the local average?
Yes, it is 23.8% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $59,040. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Portland, OR pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $44,960 the metro median is 17.2% higher than the US median of $38,370 for security guards. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $32,480 to $48,400.
How many security guards work in Portland, OR?
BLS counts about 8,260 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 6.80 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. A location quotient of 0.84 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 5.1%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.