Physical Security recruiters serving Charleston.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in Charleston than in most of the country, 18% fewer per job, so the roughly 180 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 27 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 Charleston.
BLS counts about 2,180 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Charleston metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,480). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.82). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Charleston: 180 employed · $61,960 median, 32nd-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Charleston: 1,480 employed · $59,010 median, 82nd-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Charleston: 1,080 employed · $107,610 median, 64th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Charleston: 540 employed · $73,130 median, 88th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Charleston: 520 employed · $86,370 median, 15th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Charleston: 2,560 employed · $77,470 median, 68th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Charleston.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Charleston earn a median $61,960, 3% over the $60,070 national figure, and 32nd of 110 metros. Pay runs $37,750 at the tenth percentile to $78,510 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $86,370 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Charleston 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) | $61,960 | $37,750–$78,510 | $60,070 | +3% | 180 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $59,010 | $45,560–$75,660 | $63,190 | −7% | 1,480 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $107,610 | $72,640–$192,330 | $114,990 | −6% | 1,080 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $73,130 | $48,840–$129,520 | $78,740 | −7% | 540 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $86,370 | $61,790–$131,300 | $78,190 | +10% | 520 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $77,470 | $56,770–$106,960 | $79,920 | −3% | 2,560 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Charleston 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 Charleston's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Charleston rose from 26 in 2018 to 27 in 2023, up 4%, behind the 18% growth nationally. 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 | 26 | 27 | +4% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 490 | – | – |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $64,831 | – | – |
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
Charleston runs 18% 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 Charleston's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Charleston ranks 73rd for headcount, 30th for median pay and 72nd for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 320 | $60,310 | 1.46 | 39 |
| Charleston | 180 | $61,960 | 0.82 | 27 |
| Greenville | 160 | $60,390 | 0.65 | 34 |
| Myrtle Beach | 90 | $51,140 | 1.11 | 26 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Charleston, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Charleston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in South Carolina.
Under the Alarm System Business Act, alarm businesses must be licensed through a qualifying party, and employees with access to client property or alarm records must register. Principal officers, qualifying parties and registered employees need criminal background checks. The same state rules apply in Greenville, Columbia and Myrtle Beach, so candidates licensed there can work in Charleston without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board (South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Charleston talent.
The closest metro we cover is Myrtle Beach, about 85 miles away, with roughly 90 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.5 times Charleston's 180). Charleston pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($61,960 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Augusta at $45,740. Jacksonville has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | – | 180 | $61,960 |
| Myrtle Beach | 87 mi | 90 | $51,140 |
| Columbia | 106 mi | 320 | $60,310 |
| Augusta | 128 mi | 40 | $45,740 |
| Charlotte | 177 mi | 890 | $61,590 |
| Jacksonville | 197 mi | 1,090 | $60,670 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Charleston crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Charleston in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Port of Charleston terminal expansionsMultiple concurrent projectsRo-ro terminal operational 2027, full completion 2028; Leatherman Berth 2 under construction
North Charleston Terminal expansion (3.4M TEU capacity via the former WestRock site), Leatherman Terminal's second berth (toward 2.4M TEU at full buildout), and a new ro-ro terminal doubling vehicle throughput to 500,000+ annually - sustained port-facility construction across three separate terminals.
- I-526 / Long Point Road interchange$227MDesign underway (Parsons)
Major interchange reconstruction feeding the region's port and industrial corridor - sustained heavy-civil and paving demand.
- Boeing South Carolina final assembly building expansion$1B+Ramping to 10 airplanes/month in 2026
A new 1.2 million sq ft final assembly building in North Charleston - aerospace-grade electrical, mechanical, and fabrication demand at a scale unmatched elsewhere in the metro.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Charleston market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Charleston.
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 Charleston.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Charleston?
BLS puts the Charleston median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $61,960 a year, 3% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 32nd of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Experience carries a clear premium, $37,750 at the 10th percentile against $78,510 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. No other South Carolina metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Charleston?
Yes. Charleston has 18% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 180 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Charleston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Charleston, a $107,610 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $86,370, 20% below it. Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the lowest-paid field role at $59,010. Relative to national pay, Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator is the strongest-paying role here (10% above). Security Systems Estimator trails national pay the most (7% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Charleston?
BLS counted 27 security systems integrators in Charleston in 2023. Up from 26 in 2018, a 4% 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 Charleston for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Myrtle Beach (87 miles, about 90, $51,140 median), Columbia (106 miles, about 320, $60,310 median) and Augusta (128 miles, about 40, $45,740 median). Columbia has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Charleston out-pays Myrtle Beach and Augusta, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in Charleston, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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