561612/Security Guards and Patrol Services
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
799K
employees, 2023
799K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 11,104 US Security Guards and Patrol Services business locations employed 799,400 people and paid $25.2 billion in annual payroll, $31,538 per employee on average. Employment was up 4.5% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
11,104
+4.2% vs 2022
Employees
799,400
+4.5% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$25.2B
+7.6% vs 2022
Average pay
$31,538
+2.9% 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 Security Guards and Patrol 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 | 2,173 | 157,154 | $33,949 | 0.96% |
| New York | 795 | 86,889 | $32,421 | 0.99% |
| Texas | 1,023 | 60,912 | $29,306 | 0.51% |
| Florida | 989 | 55,056 | $27,802 | 0.55% |
| Virginia | 385 | 34,553 | $48,771 | 0.96% |
| Illinois | 356 | 34,528 | $30,172 | 0.61% |
| Pennsylvania | 316 | 29,883 | $27,632 | 0.52% |
| New Jersey | 225 | 23,628 | $31,218 | 0.60% |
| Georgia | 331 | 23,591 | $25,685 | 0.54% |
| Maryland | 288 | 22,089 | $32,147 | 0.89% |
| Tennessee | 242 | 18,983 | $32,945 | 0.64% |
| Massachusetts | 170 | 16,413 | $32,925 | 0.47% |
| Ohio | 243 | 16,307 | $30,104 | 0.32% |
| Arizona | 223 | 15,296 | $29,008 | 0.53% |
| North Carolina | 216 | 15,209 | $27,152 | 0.36% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Security Guards and Patrol Services employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 841 | 98,929 | $32,956 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 985 | 77,261 | $33,577 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 431 | 42,071 | $49,115 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 329 | 33,445 | $29,867 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 470 | 27,462 | $28,796 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 280 | 21,662 | $28,177 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 327 | 20,529 | $28,686 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 236 | 20,013 | $42,852 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 155 | 17,694 | $29,601 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 241 | 17,142 | $26,064 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 132 | 14,965 | $33,058 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 256 | 13,479 | $27,143 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 172 | 13,006 | $29,691 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 90 | 12,109 | $35,062 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 149 | 11,704 | $27,193 |
Business size
US Security Guards and Patrol Services business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 3,396 | 30.6% |
| 5 to 9 | 1,374 | 12.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 1,528 | 13.8% |
| 20 to 49 | 1,870 | 16.8% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,158 | 10.4% |
| 100 to 249 | 1,128 | 10.2% |
| 250 to 499 | 362 | 3.3% |
| 500 to 999 | 185 | 1.7% |
| 1,000 or more | 103 | 0.9% |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 56Administrative and Support Services 561Investigation and Security Services 5616Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services 56161
Questions and answers
How many people work in Security Guards and Patrol Services in the US?
799,400 people worked at 11,104 US Security Guards and Patrol Services business locations in 2023, up 4.5% from 2022. That is 0.57% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Security Guards and Patrol Services?
$31,538 a year per employee in 2023, from $25.2 billion in annual payroll (up 2.9% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Security Guards and Patrol Services jobs?
California had the most, with 157,154 employees in 2023, followed by New York (86,889) and Texas (60,912).
Which metro areas have the most Security Guards and Patrol Services jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (98,929), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (77,261), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (42,071) had the most Security Guards and Patrol Services employees in 2023.
Are most Security Guards and Patrol Services businesses small?
56.7% of the 11,104 Security Guards and Patrol Services business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 288 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.