Physical Security recruiters serving Dallas-Fort Worth.
Dallas-Fort Worth has 58% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 3,550 in the metro. BLS counts 294 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 Dallas-Fort Worth.
BLS counts about 27,200 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro, the largest group being electricians (about 20,930). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.58). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Dallas-Fort Worth: 3,550 employed · $57,930 median, 79th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Dallas-Fort Worth: 20,930 employed · $59,010 median, 82nd-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Dallas-Fort Worth: 17,110 employed · $103,550 median, 80th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Dallas-Fort Worth: 6,200 employed · $79,290 median, 42nd-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Dallas-Fort Worth: 2,720 employed · $75,580 median, 53rd-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Dallas-Fort Worth: 21,530 employed · $76,230 median, 78th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Dallas-Fort Worth earn a median $57,930, 4% under the $60,070 national figure, and 79th of 110 metros. Pay runs $37,860 at the tenth percentile to $77,520 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $75,580 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Dallas-Fort Worth 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) | $57,930 | $37,860–$77,520 | $60,070 | −4% | 3,550 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $59,010 | $38,740–$81,660 | $63,190 | −7% | 20,930 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $103,550 | $66,580–$166,770 | $114,990 | −10% | 17,110 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $79,290 | $47,950–$134,460 | $78,740 | +1% | 6,200 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $75,580 | $45,080–$103,880 | $78,190 | −3% | 2,720 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $76,230 | $50,280–$104,480 | $79,920 | −5% | 21,530 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Dallas-Fort Worth 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 Dallas-Fort Worth's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Dallas-Fort Worth rose from 244 in 2018 to 294 in 2023, up 20%, close to the 18% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 17%, to about 7,596 people. Average annual pay there went from $61,467 to $80,300 (+31%), faster than the 26% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 244 | 294 | +20% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 6,471 | 7,596 | +17% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $61,467 | $80,300 | +31% |
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
Dallas-Fort Worth runs 58% more physical security workers per job than the country as a whole — well 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 Dallas-Fort Worth's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Dallas-Fort Worth ranks 2nd for headcount, 74th for median pay and 13th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 3,550 | $57,930 | 1.58 | 294 |
| Houston | 2,500 | $56,920 | 1.37 | 204 |
| San Antonio | 820 | $56,600 | 1.31 | 84 |
| Austin | 820 | $59,790 | 1.15 | 85 |
| El Paso | 480 | $55,420 | 2.55 | 33 |
| McAllen | 150 | $45,210 | 0.90 | 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 Dallas-Fort Worth, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Dallas-Fort Worth metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Texas.
Alarm installers and electronic access control device installers need individual licenses and must be affiliated with a company licensed by the department. Applicants go through fingerprint-based background checks. The same state rules apply in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, McAllen and El Paso, so candidates licensed there can work in Dallas-Fort Worth without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a physical security search in Dallas-Fort Worth 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 Dallas-Fort Worth than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Apprentice ElectricianA tradesman already in our network for nine months, matched to the right opening and hired within a week.
- Electrical Service ManagerTwenty-five years running electrical service departments, with the national accounts to match.
- Electrical SuperintendentFourteen weeks, and worth it: a superintendent who has run USACE electrical work on a remote Pacific atoll.
Nearby markets competing for Dallas-Fort Worth talent.
The closest metro we cover is Austin, about 180 miles away, with roughly 820 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.2 times Dallas-Fort Worth's 3,550). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $48,580 in Tulsa to $59,790 in Austin, against $57,930 here. Dallas-Fort Worth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | – | 3,550 | $57,930 |
| Austin | 182 mi | 820 | $59,790 |
| Oklahoma City | 190 mi | 580 | $49,340 |
| Houston | 225 mi | 2,500 | $56,920 |
| Tulsa | 237 mi | 510 | $48,580 |
| San Antonio | 253 mi | 820 | $56,600 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Dallas-Fort Worth crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Dallas-Fort Worth in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- DFW Airport Terminal F$1.6B2024-2027
Heavy mechanical, electrical, and specialty trade demand. Phased construction means rolling crew needs.
- Goldman Sachs Dallas campus$500MOpens 2027
5,000+ permanent jobs, multi-year construction phase driving demand for high-end commercial finish work.
- Data center campuses (multiple operators)~$8B announced 2024-2026Rolling
DFW is now a top-3 US data center market. Power-systems electricians, mechanical PMs, and controls techs in extreme demand.
Showing 3 of 5 projects tracked in this metro. The Dallas-Fort Worth market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Dallas-Fort Worth.
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 Dallas-Fort Worth.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Dallas-Fort Worth?
BLS puts the Dallas-Fort Worth median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $57,930 a year, 4% below the $60,070 national median. That ranks 79th of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $37,860 and $77,520, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Texas, Austin pays more, at $59,790.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 58% more of the Dallas-Fort Worth workforce than they do nationally, about 3,550 people. The 294 security systems integrators here average about 26 employees per location. With 20% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Dallas-Fort Worth, a $103,550 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $75,580, 27% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $57,930. Security Systems Project Manager trails national pay the most (10% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Dallas-Fort Worth?
BLS counted 294 security systems integrators in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2023, employing about 7,596 people between them. Up from 244 in 2018, a 20% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 26 people per location. They pay about the national average of $80,288.
Which nearby metros compete with Dallas-Fort Worth for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Austin (182 miles, about 820, $59,790 median), Oklahoma City (190 miles, about 580, $49,340 median) and Houston (225 miles, about 2,500, $56,920 median). Dallas-Fort Worth out-pays Oklahoma City, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Dallas-Fort Worth 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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