Career Atlas USA

Best States for Security Guards

Ranked by the Career Atlas Opportunity Score, not raw pay — a high-paying state with few jobs or a high cost of living can rank below a more balanced one.

  1. 1District of Columbia93.1 / 100
  2. 2New Mexico83 / 100
  3. 3New York80.2 / 100
  4. 4Virginia75.5 / 100
  5. 5Washington72.9 / 100
  6. 6California72.4 / 100
  7. 7Illinois68.1 / 100
  8. 8Missouri65.9 / 100
  9. 9Hawaii63.8 / 100
  10. 10Nevada63.7 / 100
  11. 11Tennessee61.4 / 100
  12. 12Arizona60.6 / 100
  13. 13Alaska60.1 / 100
  14. 14Massachusetts58.7 / 100
  15. 15Oklahoma57.7 / 100

Also see highest-paying states (ranked by salary alone).