Pay by state · 54 areas
Security Manager Salary by State (2026)
Security Managers earn the most in Washington at $139,990 a year and the least in Vermont at $88,710 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $106,660. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, Guam, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $139,990Washington
- National median
- $106,660BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $88,710Vermont
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for security managers
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. After cost of living, Alabama comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Washington$139,990
- 2New York$131,350
- 3Delaware$129,260
- 4New Jersey$124,110
- 5Massachusetts$124,100
Lowest median pay
- 1Vermont$88,710
- 2Arkansas$89,810
- 3Oklahoma$90,390
- 4North Dakota$92,040
- 5Mississippi$93,640
All states
Security Manager salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of security managers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAWashington | $139,990 | $111,550 | $164,560 | 2,790 | $130,816 |
| 2 | NYNew York | $131,350 | $100,510 | $170,100 | 9,580 | $121,709 |
| 3 | DEDelaware | $129,260 | $107,620 | $166,000 | 240 | $129,509 |
| 4 | NJNew Jersey | $124,110 | $98,480 | $158,500 | 5,690 | $114,066 |
| 5 | MAMassachusetts | $124,100 | $99,100 | $159,980 | 6,070 | $117,344 |
| 6 | COColorado | $122,510 | $98,560 | $151,930 | 2,150 | $118,882 |
| 7 | ALAlabama | $121,010 | $99,440 | $144,990 | 940 | $136,237 |
| 8 | CACalifornia | $118,620 | $85,870 | $157,810 | 20,550 | $107,135 |
| 9 | KSKansas | $117,270 | $94,380 | $141,620 | 1,080 | $130,202 |
| 10 | VAVirginia | $116,540 | $91,820 | $153,570 | 2,950 | $115,267 |
| 11 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $115,770 | $86,970 | $144,990 | 930 | $105,340 |
| 12 | GAGeorgia | $114,360 | $90,910 | $147,830 | 2,670 | $118,763 |
| 13 | AKAlaska | $113,510 | $96,560 | $138,540 | 870 | $110,894 |
| 14 | CTConnecticut | $110,990 | $88,340 | $138,350 | 2,650 | $107,123 |
| 15 | OROregon | $110,710 | $89,010 | $139,560 | 1,830 | $107,110 |
| 16 | MNMinnesota | $109,720 | $87,790 | $134,540 | 3,000 | $111,254 |
| 17 | HIHawaii | $108,750 | $86,200 | $139,890 | 760 | $98,908 |
| 18 | NCNorth Carolina | $108,130 | $83,290 | $134,120 | 4,810 | $114,634 |
| 19 | NMNew Mexico | $108,110 | $89,070 | $137,310 | 390 | $117,241 |
| 20 | ILIllinois | $106,980 | $82,800 | $133,460 | 9,180 | $107,025 |
| 21 | TNTennessee | $106,730 | $85,100 | $134,130 | 2,580 | $116,175 |
| 22 | NHNew Hampshire | $106,690 | $82,650 | $130,480 | 550 | $102,424 |
| 23 | RIRhode Island | $106,510 | $89,900 | $134,690 | 470 | $104,136 |
| 24 | WYWyoming | $106,330 | $87,840 | $135,030 | 190 | $114,714 |
| 25 | INIndiana | $104,560 | $80,800 | $135,800 | 4,110 | $112,034 |
| 26 | SCSouth Carolina | $103,940 | $83,910 | $137,950 | 1,750 | $110,871 |
| 27 | WIWisconsin | $103,620 | $92,290 | $128,650 | 2,010 | $110,123 |
| 28 | NENebraska | $102,150 | $83,200 | $127,520 | 1,430 | $113,370 |
| 29 | NVNevada | $101,850 | $81,370 | $133,050 | 1,250 | $101,871 |
| 30 | SDSouth Dakota | $101,280 | $86,090 | $118,700 | 370 | $114,330 |
| 31 | KYKentucky | $100,720 | $77,370 | $133,650 | 1,070 | $111,714 |
| 32 | MOMissouri | $100,380 | $74,280 | $125,450 | 1,920 | $110,530 |
| 33 | AZArizona | $99,880 | $77,200 | $128,030 | 3,430 | $99,208 |
| 34 | IDIdaho | $99,870 | $80,460 | $132,860 | 610 | $104,582 |
| 35 | TXTexas | $99,430 | $74,360 | $133,730 | 13,140 | $102,445 |
| 36 | UTUtah | $99,320 | $78,870 | $125,160 | 1,770 | $100,461 |
| 37 | IAIowa | $99,010 | $76,480 | $122,570 | 2,340 | $112,816 |
| 38 | FLFlorida | $98,780 | $71,840 | $125,650 | 8,620 | $95,519 |
| 39 | MEMaine | $98,310 | $78,700 | $118,290 | 670 | $101,298 |
| 40 | MIMichigan | $98,150 | $75,370 | $125,460 | 4,920 | $102,009 |
| 41 | OHOhio | $97,740 | $73,970 | $124,750 | 6,030 | $105,353 |
| 42 | MDMaryland | $97,700 | $73,860 | $133,610 | 5,210 | $93,084 |
| 43 | LALouisiana | $97,120 | $71,610 | $113,520 | 1,160 | $110,105 |
| 44 | MTMontana | $96,100 | $76,570 | $121,610 | 340 | $101,537 |
| 45 | PAPennsylvania | $95,290 | $77,190 | $121,760 | 6,870 | $97,661 |
| 46 | WVWest Virginia | $95,050 | $70,010 | $118,680 | 610 | $106,205 |
| 47 | MSMississippi | $93,640 | $69,680 | $124,900 | 930 | $107,690 |
| 48 | NDNorth Dakota | $92,040 | $81,910 | $122,100 | 270 | $103,463 |
| 49 | OKOklahoma | $90,390 | $69,720 | $123,560 | 1,040 | $102,899 |
| 50 | ARArkansas | $89,810 | $69,180 | $123,970 | 880 | $103,305 |
| 51 | VTVermont | $88,710 | $65,870 | $106,190 | 500 | $90,559 |
| 52 | GUGuam | $79,560 | $49,720 | $105,580 | 60 | N/A |
| 53 | PRPuerto Rico | $72,500 | $47,510 | $109,220 | 710 | N/A |
| 54 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $66,420 | $54,990 | $91,560 | 50 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For security managers, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $139,990, while Alabama leads once prices are taken into account at $136,237.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Security Manager pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays security managers the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for security managers at $139,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New York ($131,350) and Delaware ($129,260).
Which state pays security managers the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Vermont reports the lowest median for security managers at $88,710 a year, $51,280 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Guam reports $79,560, Puerto Rico reports $72,500 and U.S. Virgin Islands reports $66,420.
In which states do security managers earn over $100,000?
32 of the 50 states and DC have a median of $100,000 or more (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The highest is Washington; the lowest of them is Missouri at $100,380. The rest report less, down to $88,710 in Vermont.
Is the highest-paying state the best for security managers after cost of living?
Not on this data. Washington pays the most on paper ($139,990) but ranks 2nd of 51 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($130,816). Alabama leads after that adjustment at $136,237, from a raw median of $121,010. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.