Physical Security recruiters serving Boston.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Boston earn a $78,560 median, 31% above the national figure, and about 1,330 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 117 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 Boston.
BLS counts about 18,030 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Boston metro, the largest group being electricians (about 13,410). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.89). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Boston: 1,330 employed · $78,560 median, 4th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Boston: 13,410 employed · $79,910 median, 9th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Boston: 7,570 employed · $156,470 median, 5th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Boston: 3,110 employed · $102,640 median, highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Boston: 3,290 employed · $78,190 median, 40th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Boston: 13,110 employed · $99,890 median, 10th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Boston.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Boston earn a median $78,560, 31% over the $60,070 national figure, and 4th of 110 metros. Pay runs $48,950 at the tenth percentile to $103,830 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $79,910 against $63,190 nationally.
| Role | Boston 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) | $78,560 | $48,950–$103,830 | $60,070 | +31% | 1,330 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $79,910 | $47,240–$129,320 | $63,190 | +26% | 13,410 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $156,470 | $105,860–$217,860 | $114,990 | +36% | 7,570 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $102,640 | $63,200–$157,200 | $78,740 | +30% | 3,110 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $78,190 | $57,670–$105,820 | $78,190 | 0% | 3,290 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $99,890 | $69,370–$137,990 | $79,920 | +25% | 13,110 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Boston 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 Boston's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Boston rose from 105 in 2018 to 117 in 2023, up 11%, behind the 18% growth nationally.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 105 | 117 | +11% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | – | 1,974 | – |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | – | $118,238 | – |
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
Boston runs 11% 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 Boston's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Boston ranks 11th for headcount, 4th for median pay and 65th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers. Pay here is among the highest we see, so offers need to start near the top of the range.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 1,330 | $78,560 | 0.89 | 117 |
| Worcester | – | $80,480 | – | 21 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Boston, the headline number is misleading. About 1,330 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. 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, Boston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Massachusetts.
Security and fire alarm work must be done by licensed people: a Systems Contractor license for the business and a Systems Technician license for the individual. The same state rules apply in Worcester, so candidates licensed there can work in Boston without re-qualifying. The Boston metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Board of State Examiners of Electricians. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a physical security search in Boston 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 Boston than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial HVAC Service TechnicianTwo decades of HVAC and refrigeration, including chief engineer roles.
Nearby markets competing for Boston talent.
The closest metro we cover is Worcester, about 40 miles away. Pay is close across the region: medians run from $62,420 in Albany to $80,480 in Worcester, against $78,560 here. Boston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | – | 1,330 | $78,560 |
| Worcester | 38 mi | – | $80,480 |
| Providence | 41 mi | 360 | $75,350 |
| Hartford | 93 mi | 220 | $73,740 |
| Bridgeport | 137 mi | – | – |
| Albany | 139 mi | 290 | $62,420 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Boston crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Boston in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- MIT & Harvard campus development (Cambridge/Allston)$3B+ combinedRolling
University lab, research, and institutional construction. High-spec finishes, custom lab MEP, LEED-driven mechanical. Long-duration institutional pipeline.
- Mass General Brigham campus expansions$2B+ programThrough 2028
Healthcare mechanical at world-class hospitals. Med-gas, isolation-room HVAC, high-spec institutional. Steady multi-year demand for hospital-experienced trades.
- Kendall Square lab & cleanroom towers (Cambridge)$5B+ ongoingPhased through 2030
Densest life-sciences cluster in the world. Cleanroom MEP, lab process piping, high-spec HVAC. Sustained multi-year demand for lab-experienced trades.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Boston market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Boston.
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 Boston.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Boston?
BLS puts the Boston median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $78,560 a year, 31% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 4th of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $48,950 at the 10th percentile against $103,830 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. No other Massachusetts metro we cover pays more for this work (Worcester: $80,480).
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Boston?
It is about average. Security and fire alarm systems installers are as common in Boston as they are nationally (location quotient 0.89), with about 1,330 in the metro. The 117 security systems integrators here average about 17 employees per location. With 11% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Boston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Boston, a $156,470 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) at $79,910, 49% below it. Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator is the lowest-paid field role at $78,190. Relative to national pay, Security Systems Project Manager is the strongest-paying role here (36% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in Boston?
BLS counted 117 security systems integrators in Boston in 2023, employing about 1,974 people between them. Up from 105 in 2018, a 11% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 17 people per location. They pay an average of $118,238, 47% above the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Boston for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Worcester (38 miles, $80,480 median), Providence (41 miles, about 360, $75,350 median) and Hartford (93 miles, about 220, $73,740 median). Boston out-pays Hartford, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
117 security systems integrators in Boston are drawing on the same 1,330 security and fire alarm systems installers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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