Physical Security recruiters serving Chicago.
Chicago has about 1,510 security and fire alarm systems installers, 8th of the 109 we cover, and still 40% fewer per job than the country - so they are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 185 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 Chicago.
BLS counts about 20,820 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Chicago metro, the largest group being electricians (about 17,720). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.60). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Chicago: 1,510 employed · $61,310 median, 40th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Chicago: 17,720 employed · $102,350 median, 2nd-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Chicago: 13,850 employed · $117,280 median, 44th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Chicago: 4,610 employed · $83,640 median, 16th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Chicago: 1,590 employed · $85,510 median, 16th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Chicago: 13,420 employed · $111,260 median, 5th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Chicago.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Chicago earn a median $61,310, level with the $60,070 national figure, and 40th of 110 metros. Pay runs $40,490 at the tenth percentile to $79,880 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $102,350 against $63,190 nationally.
| Role | Chicago 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) | $61,310 | $40,490–$79,880 | $60,070 | +2% | 1,510 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $102,350 | $49,890–$124,070 | $63,190 | +62% | 17,720 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $117,280 | $55,500–$178,140 | $114,990 | +2% | 13,850 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $83,640 | $50,720–$139,460 | $78,740 | +6% | 4,610 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $85,510 | $58,230–$120,900 | $78,190 | +9% | 1,590 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $111,260 | $66,450–$135,240 | $79,920 | +39% | 13,420 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Chicago 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 Chicago's physical security market has changed since 2018.
Chicago lost security systems integrators between 2018 and 2023, from 188 business locations to 185 (down 2%), behind the 18% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 15%, to about 2,623 people, so fewer firms are employing more people each. Average annual pay there went from $66,420 to $80,705 (+22%), slower than the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 188 | 185 | −2% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 2,283 | 2,623 | +15% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $66,420 | $80,705 | +22% |
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
Chicago runs 40% fewer physical security workers per job than the country as a whole — well 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 Chicago's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Chicago ranks 8th for headcount, 37th for median pay and 88th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Chicago, the headline number is misleading. About 1,510 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. Local employers are still adding headcount, which keeps competition for experienced people high. 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, Chicago metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Illinois.
Under the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, and Locksmith Act of 2004, alarm businesses need a Private Alarm Contractor Agency license run by a licensed Private Alarm Contractor. Employees need a Permanent Employee Registration Card, and fingerprinting is part of the process. The Chicago metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a physical security search in Chicago 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 Chicago than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial Construction Project ManagerA Project Director-level background placed into a PM seat inside a week.
- Service Dispatch CoordinatorA dispatcher who already knows the trade, the software and the workflow.
- Lead HVAC TechnicianNATE, EPA Universal and Heat Pump Council certified, with VRF and VRV experience.
Nearby markets competing for Chicago talent.
The closest metro we cover is Milwaukee, about 85 miles away, with roughly 270 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.2 times Chicago's 1,510). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $60,820 in Grand Rapids to $63,240 in Madison, against $61,310 here. Chicago 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | – | 1,510 | $61,310 |
| Milwaukee | 83 mi | 270 | $62,460 |
| Madison | 123 mi | 130 | $63,240 |
| Grand Rapids | 127 mi | 440 | $60,820 |
| Indianapolis | 164 mi | 1,080 | $60,930 |
| Dayton | 231 mi | 160 | $62,500 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Chicago crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Chicago in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- O'Hare Global Terminal expansion$12.1BThrough 2030
Largest airport terminal project in US. Airport-grade MEP, baggage systems, central utility plant. Multi-year demand for senior airport-experienced trades.
- The 78 development (South Loop)$8B+Phased through 2040
62-acre mixed-use development adjacent to downtown. University of Illinois withdrew its planned Discovery Partners Institute biotech campus from the site in 2024-2025; the broader mixed-use build-out continues under new anchor plans.
- Microsoft data center expansion (suburban Chicago)$123M Elk Grove Village campus + $41.5M Hoffman Estates land acquisition (real, itemized figures - not a verified $3B+ regional aggregate)Rolling
Chicagoland is a growing data center market. Mechanical PMs with cooling specialty + electrical crews in demand.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Chicago market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Chicago.
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 Chicago.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Chicago?
BLS puts the Chicago median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $61,310 a year, about the same as the $60,070 national median. That ranks 40th of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $40,490 and $79,880, 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 Chicago?
Yes. Chicago has 40% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 1,510 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 185 security systems integrators here average about 14 employees per location.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Chicago?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Chicago, a $117,280 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) at $102,350, 13% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $61,310. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (62% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in Chicago?
BLS counted 185 security systems integrators in Chicago in 2023, employing about 2,623 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (188). That averages 14 people per location. They pay about the national average of $80,288.
Which nearby metros compete with Chicago for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (83 miles, about 270, $62,460 median), Madison (123 miles, about 130, $63,240 median) and Grand Rapids (127 miles, about 440, $60,820 median).
Deep pool. Heavily fished.
Chicago has 1,510 security and fire alarm systems installers, 8th of the 109 metros we cover, and still 40% fewer per job than the country. The pool is deep and every employer here is fishing it. Let's get to the ones worth moving first.
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