Physical Security recruiters serving Charlotte.
Charlotte has 18% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 890 in the metro. BLS counts 102 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 Charlotte.
BLS counts about 6,790 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Charlotte metro, the largest group being electricians (about 5,250). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.18). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Charlotte: 890 employed · $61,590 median, 36th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Charlotte: 5,250 employed · $59,080 median, 81st-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Charlotte: 5,450 employed · $107,200 median, 65th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Charlotte: 2,360 employed · $77,990 median, 57th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Charlotte: 650 employed · $74,760 median, 56th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Charlotte: 9,670 employed · $77,300 median, 69th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Charlotte.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Charlotte earn a median $61,590, level with the $60,070 national figure, and 36th of 110 metros. Pay runs $40,110 at the tenth percentile to $76,060 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $74,760 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Charlotte 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) | $61,590 | $40,110–$76,060 | $60,070 | +3% | 890 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $59,080 | $43,770–$76,310 | $63,190 | −7% | 5,250 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $107,200 | $68,960–$175,220 | $114,990 | −7% | 5,450 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $77,990 | $47,520–$127,690 | $78,740 | −1% | 2,360 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $74,760 | $49,470–$107,350 | $78,190 | −4% | 650 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $77,300 | $57,430–$107,080 | $79,920 | −3% | 9,670 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Charlotte 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 Charlotte's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Charlotte rose from 73 in 2018 to 102 in 2023, up 40%, ahead of the 18% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 3%, to about 1,889 people. Average annual pay there went from $54,413 to $69,932 (+29%), in step with the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 73 | 102 | +40% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 1,826 | 1,889 | +3% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $54,413 | $69,932 | +29% |
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
Charlotte runs 18% more physical security workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Charlotte's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Charlotte ranks 23rd for headcount, 33rd for median pay and 41st for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 890 | $61,590 | 1.18 | 102 |
| Raleigh | 600 | $59,580 | 1.45 | 54 |
| Greensboro | 210 | $51,500 | 1.04 | 20 |
| Winston-Salem | 130 | $49,180 | 0.84 | 13 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 80 | $47,050 | 0.43 | 17 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Charlotte, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Charlotte metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in North Carolina.
Businesses that sell, install, service or monitor security systems, including security cameras, must be licensed through a qualifying individual, and their employees must register. Applicants submit FBI fingerprint cards for criminal record checks. The same state rules apply in Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Durham-Chapel Hill, so candidates licensed there can work in Charlotte without re-qualifying. The Charlotte metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Alarm Systems Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Charlotte talent.
The closest metro we cover is Winston-Salem, about 70 miles away, with roughly 130 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.1 times Charlotte's 890). Charlotte pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($61,590 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Durham-Chapel Hill at $47,050. Charlotte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | – | 890 | $61,590 |
| Winston-Salem | 69 mi | 130 | $49,180 |
| Greensboro | 83 mi | 210 | $51,500 |
| Columbia | 85 mi | 320 | $60,310 |
| Greenville | 91 mi | 160 | $60,390 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 121 mi | 80 | $47,050 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Charlotte crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Charlotte in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) capital programMulti-billion, phasedThrough 2027+
Terminal Lobby Expansion plus concourse and airfield work. Heavy mechanical, electrical, and specialty finish demand on a rolling, multi-phase crew schedule.
- Atrium Health "The Pearl" + Wake Forest School of Medicine$1.5B+ innovation districtPhased through 2027
A full life-sciences and medical-education district south of uptown. Med-gas plumbers, lab-grade mechanical, and clean-space electrical in tight supply.
- Data center corridor (Charlotte metro + nearby counties)Multiple operators, rolling2024-2026 and beyond
The Carolinas are now a fast-growing hyperscale market. Power-systems electricians, mechanical PMs, and controls technicians are the bottleneck.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Charlotte market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Charlotte.
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 Charlotte.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Charlotte?
BLS puts the Charlotte median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $61,590 a year, about the same as the $60,070 national median. That ranks 36th of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $40,110 and $76,060, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other North Carolina metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Charlotte?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 18% more of the Charlotte workforce than they do nationally, about 890 people. The 102 security systems integrators here average about 19 employees per location. With 40% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Charlotte?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Charlotte, a $107,200 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $74,760, 30% below it. Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the lowest-paid field role at $59,080. Security Systems Project Manager trails national pay the most (7% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Charlotte?
BLS counted 102 security systems integrators in Charlotte in 2023, employing about 1,889 people between them. Up from 73 in 2018, a 40% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 19 people per location. They pay an average of $69,932, 13% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Charlotte for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Winston-Salem (69 miles, about 130, $49,180 median), Greensboro (83 miles, about 210, $51,500 median) and Columbia (85 miles, about 320, $60,310 median). Charlotte out-pays Winston-Salem and Greensboro, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Charlotte 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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