Physical Security recruiters serving Bakersfield.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in Bakersfield than in most of the country, 46% fewer per job, so the roughly 100 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 18 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 Bakersfield.
BLS counts about 2,050 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Bakersfield metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,410). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.54). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Bakersfield: 100 employed · $57,620 median, 82nd-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Bakersfield: 1,410 employed · $75,860 median, 27th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Bakersfield: 720 employed · $127,890 median, 19th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Bakersfield: 410 employed · $82,390 median, 20th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Bakersfield: 540 employed · $103,170 median, highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Bakersfield: 1,610 employed · $92,120 median, 21st-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Bakersfield.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Bakersfield earn a median $57,620, 4% under the $60,070 national figure, and 82nd of 110 metros. Pay runs $38,230 at the tenth percentile to $82,440 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $103,170 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Bakersfield 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) | $57,620 | $38,230–$82,440 | $60,070 | −4% | 100 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $75,860 | $46,770–$123,940 | $63,190 | +20% | 1,410 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $127,890 | $83,600–$204,170 | $114,990 | +11% | 720 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $82,390 | $49,540–$145,340 | $78,740 | +5% | 410 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $103,170 | $77,710–$138,360 | $78,190 | +32% | 540 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $92,120 | $58,440–$132,820 | $79,920 | +15% | 1,610 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Bakersfield 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 Bakersfield's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Bakersfield rose from 16 in 2018 to 18 in 2023, up 13%, behind the 18% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 41%, to about 215 people. Average annual pay there went from $52,977 to $61,718 (+16%), slower than the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 16 | 18 | +13% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 153 | 215 | +41% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $52,977 | $61,718 | +16% |
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
Bakersfield runs 46% fewer physical security workers per job than the country as a whole — well 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 Bakersfield's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Bakersfield ranks 91st for headcount, 77th for median pay and 92nd for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers. That makes it one of the thinnest physical security labor markets we recruit in.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 2,960 | $71,570 | 0.85 | 360 |
| San Francisco | 1,030 | $79,350 | 0.78 | 123 |
| Riverside | 980 | $64,550 | 1.03 | 106 |
| Sacramento | 570 | $70,830 | 0.94 | 64 |
| San Diego | 540 | $70,380 | 0.63 | 75 |
| San Jose | 320 | $81,980 | 0.50 | 49 |
| Fresno | 190 | $60,950 | 0.73 | 23 |
| Modesto | 140 | $62,230 | 1.27 | 11 |
| Stockton | 110 | $63,670 | 0.71 | 10 |
| Bakersfield | 100 | $57,620 | 0.54 | 18 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Bakersfield, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Bakersfield metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in California.
Alarm companies must hold an Alarm Company Operator license, and alarm company employees must register with the bureau. Employee applicants go through a criminal history review and Live Scan fingerprinting. The same state rules apply in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in Bakersfield without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (California Department of Consumer Affairs). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Bakersfield talent.
The closest metro we cover is Los Angeles, about 100 miles away, with roughly 2,960 security and fire alarm systems installers (29.6 times Bakersfield's 100). San Jose pays the most nearby, a $81,980 median, 42% above Bakersfield. That is the number any Bakersfield offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Los Angeles has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | – | 100 | $57,620 |
| Los Angeles | 101 mi | 2,960 | $71,570 |
| Fresno | 104 mi | 190 | $60,950 |
| Riverside | 135 mi | 980 | $64,550 |
| Modesto | 191 mi | 140 | $62,230 |
| San Jose | 210 mi | 320 | $81,980 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Bakersfield crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Bakersfield in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Bakersfield Renewable Fuels refinery conversion$365M capital partnershipCompleted 2024; restructured 2025, now operating as Grapevine Energy Holdings
Converted a former crude-oil refinery into a renewable diesel bio-refinery producing roughly 250,000 gallons per day. The project went through a 2025 prepackaged Chapter 11 restructuring after a dispute with its EPC contractor and emerged 118 days later under new ownership - real turbulence, but the facility itself is operating.
- Regional clean-energy investment$69B (region-wide, as reported)Cumulative through 2026
Kern County has attracted a large wave of renewable natural gas, solar-to-hydrogen, and related facility investment, reshaping the region's traditional oil-and-gas industrial base.
These are the 2 projects we track in Bakersfield. The Bakersfield market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Bakersfield.
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 Bakersfield.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Bakersfield?
BLS puts the Bakersfield median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $57,620 a year, 4% below the $60,070 national median. That ranks 82nd of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Experience carries a clear premium, $38,230 at the 10th percentile against $82,440 at the 90th - a 2.2x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. Within California, San Jose pays more, at $81,980.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Bakersfield?
Yes. Bakersfield has 46% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 100 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 18 security systems integrators here average about 12 employees per location. With 13% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Bakersfield?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Bakersfield, a $127,890 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $103,170, 19% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $57,620. Relative to national pay, Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator is the strongest-paying role here (32% above). Security Systems Installer / Technician trails national pay the most (4% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Bakersfield?
BLS counted 18 security systems integrators in Bakersfield in 2023, employing about 215 people between them. Up from 16 in 2018, a 13% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 12 people per location. They pay an average of $61,718, 23% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Bakersfield for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Los Angeles (101 miles, about 2,960, $71,570 median), Fresno (104 miles, about 190, $60,950 median) and Riverside (135 miles, about 980, $64,550 median). Los Angeles has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Los Angeles pays 24% more, which is where Bakersfield employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in Bakersfield, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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