56161/Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
867K
employees, 2023
867K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 15,880 US Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services business locations employed 866,822 people and paid $29.0 billion in annual payroll, $33,476 per employee on average. Employment was up 3.9% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
15,880
+2.4% vs 2022
Employees
866,822
+3.9% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$29.0B
+6.6% vs 2022
Average pay
$33,476
+2.6% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,863 | 165,860 | $36,166 | 1.01% |
| New York | 1,144 | 91,197 | $33,491 | 1.04% |
| Texas | 1,399 | 66,626 | $31,892 | 0.55% |
| Florida | 1,547 | 61,120 | $29,754 | 0.61% |
| Virginia | 512 | 37,864 | $49,538 | 1.06% |
| Illinois | 528 | 36,925 | $31,658 | 0.65% |
| Pennsylvania | 441 | 32,478 | $29,538 | 0.57% |
| Georgia | 496 | 26,369 | $28,553 | 0.60% |
| New Jersey | 336 | 25,820 | $33,184 | 0.65% |
| Maryland | 390 | 23,244 | $33,084 | 0.94% |
| Tennessee | 314 | 21,209 | $35,587 | 0.71% |
| Ohio | 381 | 19,174 | $36,771 | 0.38% |
| Massachusetts | 285 | 18,547 | $34,976 | 0.53% |
| North Carolina | 338 | 17,100 | $29,184 | 0.40% |
| Michigan | 325 | 16,645 | $29,483 | 0.41% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,148 | 103,234 | $33,855 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,261 | 81,154 | $37,245 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 537 | 44,900 | $49,860 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 460 | 35,434 | $31,167 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 683 | 28,935 | $29,577 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 391 | 23,400 | $31,274 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 424 | 22,997 | $31,954 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 309 | 20,606 | $43,410 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 241 | 19,684 | $32,561 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 361 | 19,406 | $28,965 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 213 | 16,678 | $34,925 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 349 | 14,239 | $27,997 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 253 | 14,102 | $31,453 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 186 | 12,902 | $30,975 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 118 | 12,649 | $35,520 |
Business size
US Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6,378 | 40.2% |
| 5 to 9 | 1,976 | 12.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 2,009 | 12.7% |
| 20 to 49 | 2,270 | 14.3% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,341 | 8.4% |
| 100 to 249 | 1,230 | 7.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 379 | 2.4% |
| 500 to 999 | 193 | 1.2% |
| 1,000 or more | 104 | 0.7% |
Related industries
Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services and the 3 industries directly below it
Part of Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 56Administrative and Support Services 561Investigation and Security Services 5616
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 561612 | Security Guards and Patrol Services | 799,400 | $31,538 |
| 561611 | Investigation and Personal Background Check Services | 41,686 | $58,545 |
| 561613 | Armored Car Services | 25,736 | $53,063 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services in the US?
866,822 people worked at 15,880 US Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services business locations in 2023, up 3.9% from 2022. That is 0.62% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services?
$33,476 a year per employee in 2023, from $29.0 billion in annual payroll (up 2.6% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services jobs?
California had the most, with 165,860 employees in 2023, followed by New York (91,197) and Texas (66,626).
Which metro areas have the most Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (103,234), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (81,154), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (44,900) had the most Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services employees in 2023.
Are most Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services businesses small?
65.3% of the 15,880 Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 297 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.