SOC 33-9032 · Dothan, AL metro

Security Guards Salary in Dothan, AL

The average salary for security guards in Dothan, Alabama is $35,120 a year ($16.88 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $30,720: half of the 650 people in this job in the Dothan, AL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($42,470).

$35,120average per year

$16.88 / hourMedian $30,720Take-home ≈ $28,986

  • $24K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $31KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $64K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

650people in this job
-17%vs U.S. average
#4 of 12Alabama metros
84cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Security Guards pay range in Dothan

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,510 a year or less, while the top 10% make $63,680 or more. The middle half of security guards in Dothan earn between $23,510 and $34,830.

  • $24K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $31KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $64K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$35,120$2,927$16.88
Median$30,720$2,560$14.77
Entry level (25th percentile)$23,510$1,959$11.30
Experienced (75th percentile)$34,830$2,902$16.75

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Security Guards pay in Dothan vs. Alabama and the U.S.

Security guards in Dothan earn about the same as the Alabama average ($34,680) and 17% less than the U.S. average ($42,470). At the median the gap is -19% against the U.S. median of $38,020.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Dothan$35,120$30,720$23,510$63,680650
Alabama$34,680$33,720$23,110$45,64015,210
United States$42,470$38,020$30,210$58,8401,283,470

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Security Guards salary after taxes in Dothan

On the average salary of $35,120, a single filer in Dothan takes home about $28,986 a year, or $2,415 a month and $1,115 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

Alabama paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Dothan a good place for security guards? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Dothan area are 16% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 83.8), so the average $35,120 buys what about $41,893 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Dothan ($38,170). A typical home costs $196,979, or 5.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $35,120 is worth in another city

Security Guards salary in other Alabama cities

Dothan ranks 4th of 12 Alabama metro areas for this job; Decatur pays the most ($45,680).

All Security Guards salaries in Alabama

Highest-paying cities for security guards

Idaho Falls, ID pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($68,260).

Security Guards salary by city

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Security Guards salary in Dothan: questions

How much do security guards make an hour in Dothan?

$16.88 an hour on average, and $14.77 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level security guards salary in Dothan?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,510 a year and the 25th percentile is $23,510, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the security guards take-home pay in Dothan?

About $28,986 a year ($2,415 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $35,120. City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

Do security guards earn more in Dothan than elsewhere?

The average here is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($42,470).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 33-9032; area Dothan, AL (20020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.5%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.30, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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