Average Armed Security Officer Salary in Washington D.C., United States for 2025

In this article, we will look at the average Armed Security Officer salary for 2025 in Washington D.C. and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does an Armed Security Officer Make in Washington D.C.?

An Armed Security Officer working in Washington D.C. will typically earn around 68,100 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 34,800 USD to the highest average salary of 105,200 USD.

Average Annual Salary68,100 USD
Average Monthly Salary5,675 USD
Average Lowest Salary34,800 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary2,900 USD
Average Highest Salary105,200 USD
Highest Monthly Salary8,766 USD

These are average salaries for an Armed Security Officer in Washington D.C. and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for an Armed Security Officer to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Armed Security Officer salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Armed Security Officer Salaries in Washington D.C.

So we've looked at the average salaries an Armed Security Officer will earn in Washington D.C.. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that an Armed Security Officer can earn between 34,800 USD and 105,200 USD on average in Washington D.C.. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for an Armed Security Officer in Washington D.C. is 64,600 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 64,600 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 64,600 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Armed Security Officer salary in Washington D.C., 25% of the population are earning less than 44,200 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 44,200 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 78,500 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 78,500 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Armed Security Officer Salary by Experience Level in Washington D.C.

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average Armed Security Officer salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. An Armed Security Officer in Washington D.C. that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 41,400 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Armed Security Officer salary would increase to 51,800 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an Armed Security Officer, the average salary would be 73,500 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 85,400 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An Armed Security Officer with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 93,800 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an Armed Security Officer with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 100,300 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years-
41,400 USD
2-5 Years+23%
51,800 USD
5-10 Years+42%
73,500 USD
10-15 Years+17%
85,400 USD
15-20 Years+10%
93,800 USD
20+ Years+6%
100,300 USD

Armed Security Officer Salary by Education Level in Washington D.C.

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for an Armed Security Officer in Washington D.C. based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. An Armed Security Officer in Washington D.C. with a high school education can earn an average salary of 51,800 USD.
  • Certificate or Diploma. An Armed Security Officer in Washington D.C. with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 73,100 USD.
  • Bachelor's Degree. An Armed Security Officer in Washington D.C. with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 103,600 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School-
51,800 USD
Certificate or Diploma+40%
73,100 USD
Bachelor's Degree+42%
103,600 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Armed Security Officer Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Washington D.C., a male armed security officer will earn an average of 71,600 USD, while a female armed security officer will earn around 66,100 USD.

This means that a male armed security officer earns approximately 8% more than a female armed security officer for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Washington D.C.

Male-
71,600 USD
Female-8%
66,100 USD

Armed Security Officer Average Pay Raise in Washington D.C.

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for an Armed Security Officer in Washington D.C. is around 9% every 18 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 9 ÷ 18 ) × 12  = 6%

What this means is that an Armed Security Officer in Washington D.C. can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 6% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Washington D.C. for 2025

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking-
4%
Energy-
8%
Information Technology-
3%
Healthcare-
7%
Travel-
2%
Construction-
6%
Education-
1%

Armed Security Officer Bonus and Incentive Rates in Washington D.C.

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

An Armed Security Officer is a low bonus based job, with 33% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

67% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus-
33%
No Bonus-
67%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector-
98,800 USD
Private Sector-6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to an Armed Security Officer

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an Armed Security Officer in Washington D.C..

Job TitleCategorySalary
Accreditation CoordinatorLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire79,600 USD
Accreditation ManagerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire114,300 USD
AdvocateLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire69,800 USD
Company GuardLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire34,000 USD
Control Room OperatorLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire32,200 USD
Correctional OfficerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire53,300 USD
Criminal InvestigatorLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire105,200 USD
Facility MonitorLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire60,600 USD
Fire ChiefLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire100,700 USD
Fire DispatcherLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire49,700 USD
Fire Education SpecialistLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire88,500 USD
Fire Extinguisher TechnicianLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire31,800 USD
Fire FighterLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire54,100 USD
Fire InspectorLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire103,600 USD
Fire InvestigatorLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire93,600 USD
Fire Prevention EngineerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire89,400 USD
Fire Prevention OfficerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire72,800 USD
Fire Protection SpecialistLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire88,400 USD
Forensic InvestigatorLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire95,300 USD
Forensic Science TechnicianLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire99,700 USD
Fraud ExaminerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire107,700 USD
Fraud and Forensic SpecialistLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire100,700 USD
Grants SpecialistLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire127,700 USD
Intellectual Property AssociateLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire88,600 USD
Intelligence Research SpecialistLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire153,800 USD
InvestigatorLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire100,700 USD
Jail OfficerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire45,000 USD
Juvenile Probation OfficerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire69,700 USD
Juvenile Supervision OfficerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire72,700 USD
Lock-SmithLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire29,100 USD
Parole OfficerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire50,000 USD
Police CaptainLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire124,500 USD
Police Communications OfficerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire76,000 USD
Police OfficerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire54,900 USD
Police Patrol OfficerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire51,400 USD
Prison OfficerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire43,800 USD
Prisoner Custody OfficerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire35,300 USD
Private Detective / InvestigatorLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire102,700 USD
Security AdviserLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire95,200 USD
Security GuardLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire26,900 USD
Security Management SpecialistLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire142,100 USD
Security ManagerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire147,900 USD
Security OfficerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire33,300 USD
Security SupervisorLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire80,300 USD
Security Systems InstallerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire79,000 USD
Security TechnicianLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire30,200 USD
Surveillance OperatorLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire39,600 USD
Traffic ControllerLaw Enforcement / Security / Fire58,600 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

CityAverage Salary
Atlanta65,900 USD
Austin76,000 USD
Baltimore66,900 USD
Boston70,500 USD
Bristol56,100 USD
Chicago82,200 USD
Cincinnati62,100 USD
Cleveland62,300 USD
Dallas75,900 USD
Denver68,300 USD
Detroit66,100 USD
Honolulu57,200 USD
Houston81,300 USD
Indianapolis70,000 USD
Iowa City54,100 USD
Jacksonville69,800 USD
Kansas City69,700 USD
Kent54,200 USD
Las Vegas65,900 USD
Long Beach64,800 USD
Los Angeles85,500 USD
Memphis74,100 USD
Miami67,900 USD
Minneapolis64,500 USD
New Orleans64,900 USD
New York81,300 USD
Oakland61,700 USD
Oklahoma City68,900 USD
Orlando60,700 USD
Philadelphia80,200 USD
Phoenix79,500 USD
Sacramento65,900 USD
San Antonio79,800 USD
San Diego81,200 USD
San Francisco75,500 USD
San Jose78,200 USD
Seattle76,000 USD
Tampa64,900 USD
Vancouver59,700 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

StateAverage Salary
Alabama70,500 USD
Alaska61,200 USD
Arizona75,000 USD
Arkansas68,900 USD
California78,100 USD
Colorado68,200 USD
Connecticut66,200 USD
Delaware63,000 USD
District of Columbia61,300 USD
Florida73,800 USD
Georgia71,700 USD
Hawaii63,700 USD
Idaho63,100 USD
Illinois72,000 USD
Indiana75,900 USD
Iowa68,500 USD
Kansas71,100 USD
Kentucky73,100 USD
Louisiana69,800 USD
Maine65,100 USD
Maryland71,900 USD
Massachusetts74,500 USD
Michigan75,400 USD
Minnesota71,800 USD
Mississippi65,900 USD
Missouri71,800 USD
Montana61,700 USD
Nebraska63,200 USD
Nevada64,200 USD
New Hampshire63,700 USD
New Jersey70,600 USD
New Mexico62,300 USD
New York73,500 USD
North Carolina69,800 USD
North Dakota64,800 USD
Ohio78,700 USD
Oklahoma72,800 USD
Oregon71,800 USD
Pennsylvania77,100 USD
Rhode Island66,000 USD
South Carolina69,800 USD
South Dakota62,600 USD
Tennessee72,700 USD
Texas78,900 USD
Utah65,800 USD
Vermont59,800 USD
Virginia73,300 USD
Washington72,400 USD
West Virginia65,200 USD
Wisconsin71,200 USD
Wyoming58,400 USD

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