Physical Security recruiters serving Baltimore.
Baltimore has 63% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 1,220 in the metro. BLS counts 114 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 Baltimore.
BLS counts about 9,080 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Baltimore metro, the largest group being electricians (about 6,930). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.63). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Baltimore: 1,220 employed · $62,130 median, 31st-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Baltimore: 6,930 employed · $65,590 median, 45th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Baltimore: 2,780 employed · $121,490 median, 32nd-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Baltimore: 2,430 employed · $80,130 median, 36th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Baltimore: 930 employed · $94,330 median, 10th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Baltimore: 7,670 employed · $77,690 median, 64th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Baltimore.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Baltimore earn a median $62,130, 3% over the $60,070 national figure, and 31st of 110 metros. Pay runs $46,220 at the tenth percentile to $91,870 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $94,330 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Baltimore 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) | $62,130 | $46,220–$91,870 | $60,070 | +3% | 1,220 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $65,590 | $45,390–$113,090 | $63,190 | +4% | 6,930 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $121,490 | $78,560–$211,260 | $114,990 | +6% | 2,780 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $80,130 | $49,750–$126,330 | $78,740 | +2% | 2,430 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $94,330 | $49,370–$125,930 | $78,190 | +21% | 930 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $77,690 | $56,470–$117,070 | $79,920 | −3% | 7,670 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Baltimore 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 Baltimore's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Baltimore rose from 111 in 2018 to 114 in 2023, up 3%, behind the 18% growth nationally.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 111 | 114 | +3% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | – | 1,806 | – |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | – | $77,033 | – |
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
Baltimore runs 63% 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 Baltimore's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Baltimore ranks 14th for headcount, 29th for median pay and 11th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Baltimore, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Baltimore metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Maryland.
Anyone who personally surveys, installs, maintains or repairs security systems needs a Security Systems Technician license, applied for through a licensed security systems agency. Applicants submit Livescan fingerprints for state and FBI background checks.
Licensing authority: Maryland Department of State Police, Licensing Division. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Baltimore talent.
The closest metro we cover is Washington, D.C., about 35 miles away, with roughly 1,610 security and fire alarm systems installers (1.3 times Baltimore's 1,220). Washington, D.C. pays the most nearby, a $66,790 median, 8% above Baltimore. That is the number any Baltimore offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | – | 1,220 | $62,130 |
| Washington, D.C. | 36 mi | 1,610 | $66,790 |
| Lancaster | 54 mi | 90 | $58,290 |
| Harrisburg | 70 mi | 60 | $59,990 |
| Philadelphia | 90 mi | 1,290 | $61,870 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 109 mi | 300 | $61,280 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Baltimore crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Baltimore in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- University of Maryland Medical System expansionsPhased campus work2025-2028
Downtown and suburban campus build-out. Occupied-facility renovation experience is the differentiator - very different skill set from ground-up.
- Port of Baltimore modernizationFederal + state fundedOngoing
Howard Street Tunnel clearance work and terminal upgrades. Heavy equipment operators, riggers, and industrial electrical crews.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine capital programMulti-hundred-million, phasedOngoing through 2029
Healthcare is Baltimore's most reliable commercial construction demand. Med-gas plumbers, ICRA-trained mechanical crews, and hospital-experienced superintendents are the scarce roles.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Baltimore market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Baltimore.
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 Baltimore.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Baltimore?
BLS puts the Baltimore median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $62,130 a year, 3% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 31st of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $46,220 and $91,870, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Baltimore?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 63% more of the Baltimore workforce than they do nationally, about 1,220 people. The 114 security systems integrators here average about 16 employees per location.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Baltimore?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Baltimore, a $121,490 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $94,330, 22% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $62,130. Relative to national pay, Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator is the strongest-paying role here (21% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in Baltimore?
BLS counted 114 security systems integrators in Baltimore in 2023, employing about 1,806 people between them. Up from 111 in 2018, a 3% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 16 people per location. They pay an average of $77,033, 4% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Baltimore for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Washington, D.C. (36 miles, about 1,610, $66,790 median), Lancaster (54 miles, about 90, $58,290 median) and Harrisburg (70 miles, about 60, $59,990 median). Washington, D.C. pays 8% more, which is where Baltimore employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Baltimore 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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