Defense Security Service

Defense Security Service Salary

$30.5K

$78K

$138K

$76,122

/year

$36.60

/hour

Defense Security Service Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$76,122

Columbus

Ohio

$73,526

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    How much does a Defense Security Service make?

    As of Sep 7, 2026, the average annual pay for a Defense Security Service in the United States is $76,122 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $36.60 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,463/week or $6,343/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $138,000 and as low as $30,500, the majority of Defense Security Service salaries currently range between $50,000 (25th percentile) to $84,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $119,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Defense Security Service varies little (about 34000), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

    A Defense Security Service in your area makes on average $73,526 per year, or $2,596 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $76,122. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Defense Security Service salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Defense Security Service jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Defense Security Service on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Defense Security Service Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Defense Security Service job is above the national average. Topping the list is Palmdale, CA, , with Crane, IN, and Pennington County, SD, close behind in the second and third positions. Pennington County, SD, beats the national average by $23,934 (31.4%), and Palmdale, CA, furthers that trend with another $37,266 (49.0%) above the $76,122 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Defense Security Service appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 19% between Palmdale, CA, and Berkeley, CA, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for a Defense Security Service role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Palmdale, CA

    $113,388

    $54.51

    Crane, IN

    $102,330

    $49.20

    Pennington County, SD

    $100,056

    $48.10

    Kailua-Kona, HI

    $97,001

    $46.64

    Florham Park, NJ

    $94,730

    $45.54

    Nome, AK

    $94,429

    $45.40

    Englewood, CO

    $94,119

    $45.25

    Worcester, MA

    $94,105

    $45.24

    Cupertino, CA

    $93,915

    $45.15

    Berkeley, CA

    $93,207

    $44.81

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Defense Security Service Jobs in the U.S.

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Defense Security Service job category, we found that Network Forensics jobs have average salaries greater than Defense Security Service jobs.

    Significantly, Network Forensics jobs pay $30,448 (40.0%) more than the average Defense Security Service salary of $76,122. If you're qualified, finding work as a Network Forensics may help you make more money than that of the average Defense Security Service position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Network Forensics

    $106,570

    $51.24

    Background Investigators

    $70,123

    $33.71

    Airport Operations Agent

    $51,415

    $24.72

    Custom Border Protection Officer

    $40,041

    $19.25

    Security Forces Officer

    $35,678

    $17.15

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Defense Security Service salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $76,122 per year or $36.60 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.