An armored car guard picks up large amounts of money and other valuable items from businesses and takes them to another location, such as a bank. The guard must protect the items while taking them to and from the vehicle as well as during transit on the road. Although the job has the potential to be hazardous, it is generally not high-paying.
Security Guard Salaries
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics includes armored car guards with all security guards in its salary figures for this occupation. The average pay rate for all these guards as of May 2009 was $12.70 per hour, or $26,430 per year. The middle 50 percent were earning $9.35 to $14.70 per hour, or $19,460 to $30,580 per year. The bottom 10 percent had salaries of $8.10 per hour and lower; the federal minimum wage was $7.25 per hour effective in July 2009. The top 10 percent had salaries of $19.34 per hour and higher, or $40,230 per year and more.
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Armored Car Guard Salary Range
CBSalary, an online calculator provided by CareerBuilder.com, shows the average salary for armored car guards in particular in April 2011 at $25,646 to $25,784 per year, translating to about $12.30 to $12.40 per hour. The middle 50 percent range was $21,066 to $35,865 per year, higher than that shown by the BLS two years previously for all security guards.
High-Paying Regions
The BLS lists some of the top-paying regions for security guards in general, and data from CBSalary on armored car guards confirms higher-than-average pay. Armored car guards in Maryland have an average annual salary of $28,314, in Vermont $30,145, in Washington $34,929, in Alaska $35,571 and in the District of Columbia $36,497.
Outlook
Employment of all security guards, including armored car guards, should have fast growth between 2008 and 2018, according to the BLS. In addition to job growth, openings will occur due to turnover and to experienced workers retiring during this time frame.
