Security Operator Salary
$16.5K - $20.5K
3% of jobs
$20.5K - $24.5K
1% of jobs
$24.5K - $28.5K
0% of jobs
$28.5K - $32.5K
2% of jobs
$36.3K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$32.5K - $36.5K
20% of jobs
$36.5K - $40.5K
24% of jobs
The median wage is $40.6K / yr.
$40.5K - $44.5K
22% of jobs
$45.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$44.5K - $48.5K
18% of jobs
$48.5K - $52.5K
7% of jobs
$52.5K - $56.5K
2% of jobs
$56.5K - $60.5K
1% of jobs
$16.5K
$40.5K
$59.5K
$41,244
/year
$19.83
/hour
Security Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$41,244
Columbus
Ohio
$39,838
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How much does a Security Operator make?
As of Jul 26, 2026, the average annual pay for a Security Operator in the United States is $41,244 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $19.83 an hour. This is the equivalent of $793/week or $3,437/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $59,500 and as low as $16,500, the majority of Security Operator salaries currently range between $36,000 (25th percentile) to $44,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $50,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Security Operator varies little (about 8500), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.
A Security Operator in your area makes on average $39,838 per year, or $1,406 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $41,244. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Security Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Security Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Security Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Security Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Security Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Silverdale, WA, , with Cupertino, CA, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $9,257 (22.4%), and Silverdale, WA, furthers that trend with another $10,456 (25.4%) above the $41,244 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Security Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Silverdale, WA, and Menlo Park, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Security Operator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Silverdale, WA | $51,700 | $24.86 |
Cupertino, CA | $50,885 | $24.46 |
Berkeley, CA | $50,501 | $24.28 |
Aspen, CO | $49,853 | $23.97 |
Sitka, AK | $49,686 | $23.89 |
Highlands Ranch, CO | $49,493 | $23.79 |
Mountain View, CA | $49,081 | $23.60 |
Deerfield, IL | $49,021 | $23.57 |
Santa Clara, CA | $48,745 | $23.44 |
Menlo Park, CA | $48,605 | $23.37 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Security Operator Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Security Operator category.
For example Building Security jobs pay as much as $14,109 (34.2%) more than the average Security Operator salary of $41,244. If you're qualified, finding work as a Building Security may help you make more money than that of the average Security Operator position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Building Security | $55,353 | $26.61 |
Alarm Dispatcher | $45,823 | $22.03 |
Gsoc Operator | $42,306 | $20.34 |
Admiral Security | $39,905 | $19.19 |
Security Monitor | $35,147 | $16.90 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
