Physical Security recruiters serving Atlanta.
About 1,380 security and fire alarm systems installers work in the Atlanta metro, at a $58,990 median. BLS counts 193 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 Atlanta.
BLS counts about 15,800 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Atlanta metro, the largest group being electricians (about 13,430). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.86). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Atlanta: 1,380 employed · $58,990 median, 73rd-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Atlanta: 13,430 employed · $58,650 median, 84th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Atlanta: 7,470 employed · $119,590 median, 39th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Atlanta: 3,740 employed · $82,870 median, 18th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Atlanta: 990 employed · $78,610 median, 37th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Atlanta: 16,920 employed · $80,500 median, 49th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Atlanta.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Atlanta earn a median $58,990, level with the $60,070 national figure, and 73rd of 110 metros. Pay runs $42,370 at the tenth percentile to $76,100 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $78,610 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Atlanta 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) | $58,990 | $42,370–$76,100 | $60,070 | −2% | 1,380 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $58,650 | $37,380–$84,000 | $63,190 | −7% | 13,430 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $119,590 | $76,570–$185,760 | $114,990 | +4% | 7,470 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $82,870 | $49,500–$134,750 | $78,740 | +5% | 3,740 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $78,610 | $48,640–$110,060 | $78,190 | +1% | 990 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $80,500 | $56,500–$125,010 | $79,920 | +1% | 16,920 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Atlanta 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 Atlanta's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Atlanta rose from 154 in 2018 to 193 in 2023, up 25%, ahead of the 18% national rise. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 2,840. Average annual pay there went from $76,929 to $87,432 (+14%), slower than the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 154 | 193 | +25% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 2,853 | 2,840 | −0% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $76,929 | $87,432 | +14% |
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
Atlanta runs 14% fewer physical security workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep 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 Atlanta's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Atlanta ranks 10th for headcount, 68th for median pay and 69th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 1,380 | $58,990 | 0.86 | 193 |
| Augusta | 40 | $45,740 | 0.33 | 11 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Atlanta, the headline number is misleading. About 1,380 security and fire alarm systems installers work here, one of the larger workforces we cover, but relative to the size of the local economy the trade is thinner than average, so every other employer is drawing on the same people. Local employers are still adding headcount, which keeps competition for experienced people high. Expect to recruit people who are already employed, and to make the case for moving.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Atlanta metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Georgia.
Low-voltage work, including alarm work, requires a state low voltage contractor license issued by this board, and a Low Voltage Alarm Contractor license type is offered. The same state rules apply in Augusta, so candidates licensed there can work in Atlanta without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Georgia State Board of Low Voltage Contractors (Georgia Secretary of State). Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a physical security search in Atlanta yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in Atlanta than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Senior Accounting CoordinatorThe back-office hire that keeps a trade business’s books straight.
- Outside Sales RepresentativeA rep who grew a regional product line from $600,000 to $2.5 million.
Nearby markets competing for Atlanta talent.
The closest metro we cover is Chattanooga, about 105 miles away, with roughly 160 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.1 times Atlanta's 1,380). Birmingham pays the most nearby, a $63,350 median, 7% above Atlanta. That is the number any Atlanta offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Atlanta is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | – | 1,380 | $58,990 |
| Chattanooga | 104 mi | 160 | $48,330 |
| Greenville | 137 mi | 160 | $60,390 |
| Birmingham | 140 mi | 610 | $63,350 |
| Augusta | 140 mi | 40 | $45,740 |
| Huntsville | 143 mi | 150 | $61,080 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Atlanta crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Atlanta in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Hartsfield-Jackson Terminal F + Concourse modernization$1.5B+Through 2030
World's busiest airport. Terminal expansion + concourse upgrades drive long-duration MEP demand.
- Microsoft data center campuses (multiple, metro-wide)$6B+ announced 2024-2026Rolling
Atlanta is a top-2 US data center market (with Northern VA). Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others expanding aggressively. Power-systems electricians, cooling specialists, mechanical PMs at extreme premium.
- Hospital expansion (Emory, Piedmont, CHOA)$2B+ aggregated2024-2028
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta new Arthur M. Blank Hospital ($1.5B alone). Hospital-grade HVAC + medical gas in tight supply.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Atlanta market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Atlanta.
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 Atlanta.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Atlanta?
BLS puts the Atlanta median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $58,990 a year, about the same as the $60,070 national median. That ranks 73rd of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $42,370 and $76,100, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Georgia metro we cover pays more for this work (Augusta: $45,740).
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Atlanta?
It is about average. Security and fire alarm systems installers are as common in Atlanta as they are nationally (location quotient 0.86), with about 1,380 in the metro. The 193 security systems integrators here average about 15 employees per location. With 25% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Atlanta?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Atlanta, a $119,590 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $78,610, 34% below it. Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the lowest-paid field role at $58,650. Relative to national pay, Security Systems Estimator is the strongest-paying role here (5% above). Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) trails national pay the most (7% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Atlanta?
BLS counted 193 security systems integrators in Atlanta in 2023, employing about 2,840 people between them. Up from 154 in 2018, a 25% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 15 people per location. They pay an average of $87,432, 9% above the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Atlanta for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Chattanooga (104 miles, about 160, $48,330 median), Greenville (137 miles, about 160, $60,390 median) and Birmingham (140 miles, about 610, $63,350 median). Birmingham pays 7% more, which is where Atlanta employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
193 security systems integrators in Atlanta are drawing on the same 1,380 security and fire alarm systems installers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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