Physical Security recruiters serving Chattanooga.
At a $48,330 median, security and fire alarm systems installers in Chattanooga earn 20% less than nationally; about 160 work in the metro. BLS counts 22 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 Chattanooga.
BLS counts about 2,090 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Chattanooga metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,760). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 1.04). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Chattanooga: 160 employed · $48,330 median, 104th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Chattanooga: 1,760 employed · $72,330 median, 36th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Chattanooga: 380 employed · $101,640 median, 95th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Chattanooga: 440 employed · $70,450 median, 101st-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Chattanooga: 170 employed · $66,480 median, 85th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Chattanooga: 1,430 employed · $75,090 median, 86th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Chattanooga.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Chattanooga earn a median $48,330, 20% under the $60,070 national figure, and 104th of 110 metros. Pay runs $37,890 at the tenth percentile to $77,690 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $72,330 against $63,190 nationally.
| Role | Chattanooga 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) | $48,330 | $37,890–$77,690 | $60,070 | −20% | 160 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $72,330 | $38,030–$85,830 | $63,190 | +14% | 1,760 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $101,640 | $62,390–$179,570 | $114,990 | −12% | 380 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $70,450 | $42,440–$106,190 | $78,740 | −11% | 440 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $66,480 | $36,710–$98,550 | $78,190 | −15% | 170 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $75,090 | $48,910–$102,230 | $79,920 | −6% | 1,430 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Chattanooga rose from 13 in 2018 to 22 in 2023, up 69%, ahead of the 18% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 13 | 22 | +69% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | – | 185 | – |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | – | $67,879 | – |
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
Chattanooga sits at about the national rate for physical security — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 Chattanooga's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Chattanooga ranks 76th for headcount, 95th for median pay and 52nd for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers. Pay here is among the lowest we see, which makes relocation offers from higher-paying metros a real retention risk.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 830 | $57,860 | 1.35 | 91 |
| Memphis | 640 | $57,000 | 1.88 | 49 |
| Knoxville | 420 | $58,090 | 1.77 | 39 |
| Chattanooga | 160 | $48,330 | 1.04 | 22 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Chattanooga, the pool is about the national norm for its size, and local employers have trimmed headcount. That usually means experienced people are available but cautious, so the stability of the job matters as much as the rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Chattanooga metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Tennessee.
Alarm contractor companies must be licensed with a qualifying agent, in classifications that include burglar alarm and CCTV. Employees with access to sensitive alarm information must register, and both agents and employees need background checks. The same state rules apply in Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, so candidates licensed there can work in Chattanooga without re-qualifying. The Chattanooga metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Alarm Systems Contractors Board (Department of Commerce and Insurance). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Chattanooga talent.
The closest metro we cover is Huntsville, about 75 miles away, with roughly 150 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.9 times Chattanooga's 160). Birmingham pays the most nearby, a $63,350 median, 31% above Chattanooga. That is the number any Chattanooga offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Atlanta has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | – | 160 | $48,330 |
| Huntsville | 76 mi | 150 | $61,080 |
| Knoxville | 101 mi | 420 | $58,090 |
| Atlanta | 104 mi | 1,380 | $58,990 |
| Nashville | 113 mi | 830 | $57,860 |
| Birmingham | 135 mi | 610 | $63,350 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Chattanooga crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Chattanooga in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Erlanger East Hospital expansion$122MConstruction begins summer 2026, opening fall 2028
A new three-story, 52,000 sq ft building on Gunbarrel Road adding 22 patient beds, a cardiac catheterization lab, an electrophysiology lab, and an interventional radiology lab, plus 100 new jobs.
- CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital (Ooltewah)UndisclosedBroke ground April 2026, opening spring 2027
A 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital on Mountain View Road.
- Volkswagen Chattanooga plant$4.3B invested since 2011Ongoing production transition
Volkswagen's sole US assembly facility, 4,000+ employees, reached a 1-million-vehicle milestone in 2026 and is pivoting from ID.4 electric vehicle assembly to the second-generation Atlas as its primary production mandate.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Chattanooga market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Chattanooga.
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 Chattanooga.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Chattanooga?
BLS puts the Chattanooga median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $48,330 a year, 20% below the $60,070 national median. That ranks 104th of 110 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $37,890 at the 10th percentile against $77,690 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. Within Tennessee, Knoxville pays more, at $58,090.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Chattanooga?
It is about average. Security and fire alarm systems installers are as common in Chattanooga as they are nationally (location quotient 1.04), with about 160 in the metro. The 22 security systems integrators here average about 8.4 employees per location. With 69% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Chattanooga?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Chattanooga, a $101,640 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) at $72,330, 29% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $48,330. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (14% above). Security Systems Installer / Technician trails national pay the most (20% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Chattanooga?
BLS counted 22 security systems integrators in Chattanooga in 2023, employing about 185 people between them. Up from 13 in 2018, a 69% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 8.4 people per location. They pay an average of $67,879, 15% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Chattanooga for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Huntsville (76 miles, about 150, $61,080 median), Knoxville (101 miles, about 420, $58,090 median) and Atlanta (104 miles, about 1,380, $58,990 median). Knoxville has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Huntsville pays 26% more, which is where Chattanooga employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
22 security systems integrators in Chattanooga are drawing on the same 160 security and fire alarm systems installers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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