Unfortunately, Security Guards in California performing basic security jobs do not make much of a private security salary.
Furthermore, California security companies who provide basic security services have revenue issues as well: low profit margins.
So, how much is a Security Guard salary in California?
The salary for a new California Security Guard with no experience will be around $22,000.
This can go up to around $37,000 for an experienced California Security Guard.
However, a salary is not commonly used for California Security Guards, an hourly rate is. This low rate for basic security services should not be a deterrent to entering the security industry. This is because California has a great and robust specialized security industry. This leaves a lot of room for advancement, leading to a much higher salary along the way.
California Security Guard Hourly Rate
An hourly rate for a rookie California Security Guard is usually just a little above the federal minimum wage rate:
Around $12 per hour.
This means a new California Security Guard would make a salary of approximately $22,000 per year.
The hourly rate for an experienced California Security Guard will just be a few bucks more:
Around $18 per hour.
This would slightly increase the salary from $22k for a new California Security Guard to around $37,000 for an experienced California Security Guard. It's unfortunate that it is not that much of a jump in pay. However, as mentioned before, California Security Guards have lucrative options in more specialized security fields.
Security Guard Salary California Summary
New CA Security Guard $22,000USD per year
Experienced Security Guard $37,000USD per year
Executive Protection Salary California Summary
New CA Body Guard $55,000USD per year
Experienced Body Guard $95,000USD per year
The low pay for basic security services is generally due to the low rate California security companies charge their clients. This leaves a small profit margin for the California security company and not much left over for the Security Guard.
To run a very profitable security company in California that only provides basic security services, the security provider must have an enormous client base. So, a California Security Guard might be able to increase their salary by working for a larger security company.
The low pay issues for many countries in regards to security is also due to the fact that they do not have specialized security fields. A Security Guard's job in these countries will just usually involve patrolling and site security, this does not pay that much.
Thankfully, California does not have this problem. There are many specialized security fields Security Guards can get into, such as armed security. These specialized fields will often come with larger salaries.
The most lucrative security field in California is probably executive protection (Body Guard). This will require specialized training in "close protection." The rate for an experienced and capable Body Guard will be around $50 per hour which is roughly a salary of $95,000. The only issue with executive protection is that it is a very specialized filed which will take a lot of education and experience to get into.
About the Author
Peter Sandru is an Instructor & Co-Founder of NDIL with over 15 years working in security. Peter has spent more than a decade conducting security operations throughout the world, primarily for corporations, law firms, and government agencies. Peter has assisted in the creation of numerous security training programs in various capacities.