Physical Security recruiters serving Allentown-Bethlehem.
Allentown-Bethlehem has 45% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 300 in the metro. BLS counts 26 business locations of security systems integrators across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Allentown-Bethlehem.
BLS counts about 1,670 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Allentown-Bethlehem metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,100). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.45). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Allentown-Bethlehem: 300 employed · $61,280 median, 41st-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Allentown-Bethlehem: 1,100 employed · $66,500 median, 43rd-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Allentown-Bethlehem: 360 employed · $112,900 median, 49th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Allentown-Bethlehem: 540 employed · $76,810 median, 68th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Allentown-Bethlehem: 270 employed · $64,470 median, 91st-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Allentown-Bethlehem: 1,280 employed · $82,490 median, 34th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Allentown-Bethlehem.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Allentown-Bethlehem earn a median $61,280, level with the $60,070 national figure, and 41st of 110 metros. Pay runs $38,620 at the tenth percentile to $76,640 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $66,500 against $63,190 nationally.
| Role | Allentown-Bethlehem median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security Systems Installer / Technician · Access Control Technician · CCTV / Video Surveillance TechnicianSecurity and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (49-2098) | $61,280 | $38,620–$76,640 | $60,070 | +2% | 300 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $66,500 | $48,290–$122,400 | $63,190 | +5% | 1,100 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $112,900 | $80,630–$191,870 | $114,990 | −2% | 360 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $76,810 | $51,210–$126,660 | $78,740 | −2% | 540 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $64,470 | $48,510–$98,120 | $78,190 | −18% | 270 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $82,490 | $59,740–$139,340 | $79,920 | +3% | 1,280 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Allentown-Bethlehem metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Allentown-Bethlehem's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Allentown-Bethlehem rose from 20 in 2018 to 26 in 2023, up 30%, ahead of the 18% national rise. BLS stops short of publishing headcount and pay for them here, which happens when a handful of firms account for most of the work.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 20 | 26 | +30% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 366 | – | – |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $65,584 | – | – |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free Physical Security hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to Physical Security · 2026 Physical Security Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for Physical Security
Allentown-Bethlehem runs 45% more physical security workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Allentown-Bethlehem's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Allentown-Bethlehem ranks 57th for headcount, 38th for median pay and 19th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 1,290 | $61,870 | 0.80 | 190 |
| Pittsburgh | 600 | $59,440 | 0.96 | 47 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 300 | $61,280 | 1.45 | 26 |
| Scranton | 110 | $56,790 | 0.76 | 8 |
| Lancaster | 90 | $58,290 | 0.62 | 9 |
| Harrisburg | 60 | $59,990 | 0.33 | 13 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Allentown-Bethlehem, the local pool is deeper than most, so a well-run search can usually fill field roles from inside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Allentown-Bethlehem metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania does not license alarm or security system installers, and it does not license electricians either. The Department of Labor and Industry states that the Commonwealth has no licensure or certification requirement for most construction contractors or their employees, and directs contractors to their municipality. The state-level credentials people confuse this with, Act 235 lethal weapons certification and private detective licensing through the county Court of Common Pleas, apply to armed and investigative guard work rather than to installation technicians. Hire against the municipal trade license, for example an electrical contractor license from Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections, and note that Attorney General home improvement contractor registration applies only to residential work. The same state rules apply in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Lancaster and Scranton, so candidates licensed there can work in Allentown-Bethlehem without re-qualifying. The Allentown-Bethlehem metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: No state license; regulated locally, with Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections issuing trade licenses including the electrical contractor license. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Allentown-Bethlehem talent.
The closest metro we cover is Philadelphia, about 50 miles away, with roughly 1,290 security and fire alarm systems installers (4.3 times Allentown-Bethlehem's 300). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $56,790 in Scranton to $61,870 in Philadelphia, against $61,280 here. New York has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem | – | 300 | $61,280 |
| Philadelphia | 48 mi | 1,290 | $61,870 |
| Scranton | 56 mi | 110 | $56,790 |
| Lancaster | 58 mi | 90 | $58,290 |
| Harrisburg | 77 mi | 60 | $59,990 |
| New York | 78 mi | 6,850 | $59,280 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Allentown-Bethlehem crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Allentown-Bethlehem in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- LVHN neighborhood hospitals (Hellertown + Tannersville)UndisclosedHellertown underway; Tannersville opening winter 2026
A three-story, 90,000 sq ft neighborhood hospital in Hellertown and a new health care campus in Tannersville near I-80 - Lehigh Valley Health Network's fourth and fifth such facilities.
- PA SITES brownfield redevelopment (Bethlehem Steel)$500M statewide program (~$400M to PA SITES)Signed into law; rollout underway
Governor Shapiro signed the program into law at the former Bethlehem Steel campus, funding remediation to turn old industrial sites into shovel-ready properties for new business - a direct, symbolic anchor in this metro.
- Allentown capital bond programUp to $134M~$41M sold in each of three tranches, 2026-28
Funding a new fire station and police headquarters, among other municipal capital projects.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Allentown-Bethlehem market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Allentown-Bethlehem.
The 4 credentials that gate the work and the 4 things that most often end a physical security offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: Physical Security credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Frequently asked - Physical Security hiring in Allentown-Bethlehem.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Allentown-Bethlehem?
BLS puts the Allentown-Bethlehem median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $61,280 a year, about the same as the $60,070 national median. That ranks 41st of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $38,620 and $76,640, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Pennsylvania metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Allentown-Bethlehem?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 45% more of the Allentown-Bethlehem workforce than they do nationally, about 300 people. With 30% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Allentown-Bethlehem?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Allentown-Bethlehem, a $112,900 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) at $66,500, 41% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $61,280. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (5% above). Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator trails national pay the most (18% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Allentown-Bethlehem?
BLS counted 26 security systems integrators in Allentown-Bethlehem in 2023. Up from 20 in 2018, a 30% increase against 18% growth nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers.
Which nearby metros compete with Allentown-Bethlehem for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Philadelphia (48 miles, about 1,290, $61,870 median), Scranton (56 miles, about 110, $56,790 median) and Lancaster (58 miles, about 90, $58,290 median). Philadelphia has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Allentown-Bethlehem out-pays Scranton, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Allentown-Bethlehem has one of the deeper pools of security and fire alarm systems installers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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