Physical Security recruiters serving Dayton.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in Dayton than in most of the country, 22% fewer per job, so the roughly 160 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 26 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 Dayton.
BLS counts about 2,490 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Dayton metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,920). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.78). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Dayton: 160 employed · $62,500 median, 27th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Dayton: 1,920 employed · $61,870 median, 63rd-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Dayton: 960 employed · $98,070 median, 105th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Dayton: 590 employed · $79,020 median, 45th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Dayton: 410 employed · $61,840 median, 102nd-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Dayton: 1,220 employed · $80,220 median, 50th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Dayton.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Dayton earn a median $62,500, 4% over the $60,070 national figure, and 27th of 110 metros. Pay runs $46,840 at the tenth percentile to $76,630 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $61,870 against $63,190 nationally.
| Role | Dayton 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) | $62,500 | $46,840–$76,630 | $60,070 | +4% | 160 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $61,870 | $38,920–$98,230 | $63,190 | −2% | 1,920 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $98,070 | $65,990–$155,190 | $114,990 | −15% | 960 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $79,020 | $50,520–$124,060 | $78,740 | 0% | 590 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $61,840 | $49,060–$95,480 | $78,190 | −21% | 410 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $80,220 | $59,690–$106,660 | $79,920 | 0% | 1,220 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Dayton 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 Dayton's physical security market has changed since 2018.
Dayton lost security systems integrators between 2018 and 2023, from 28 business locations to 26 (down 7%), behind the 18% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 12%, to about 181 people. Average annual pay there went from $50,086 to $60,882 (+22%), slower than the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 28 | 26 | −7% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 206 | 181 | −12% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $50,086 | $60,882 | +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
Dayton runs 22% 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 Dayton's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Dayton ranks 76th for headcount, 25th for median pay and 76th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 580 | $62,660 | 1.00 | 63 |
| Columbus | 490 | $63,060 | 0.80 | 79 |
| Cincinnati | 330 | $63,300 | 0.54 | 56 |
| Akron | 220 | $61,280 | 1.26 | 20 |
| Dayton | 160 | $62,500 | 0.78 | 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 Dayton, 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, Dayton metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Ohio.
Ohio does not license burglar alarm or security system installers at state level. Section 4740.13 of the Revised Code says directly that a person performing work on fire alarm or burglar alarm systems, cabling and tele-data sound systems, and communication systems using under fifty volts is not acting as an electrical contractor and needs no state contractor license. The Ohio private investigator and security guard licensing program under Chapter 4749 is guard licensing, since its definitions cover furnishing watchpersons, guards, patrol officers, guard dogs and armored vehicle services and say nothing about installing or servicing alarm systems, so that license is not the one to ask a technician for. Verify a state electrical contractor license only when line voltage work is in scope, and otherwise check the local building department's permit rules. The same state rules apply in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Akron, so candidates licensed there can work in Dayton without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: No state alarm installer license; Ohio Department of Commerce, Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board administers electrical contractor licensing under ORC Chapter 4740. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Dayton talent.
The closest metro we cover is Cincinnati, about 45 miles away, with roughly 330 security and fire alarm systems installers (2.1 times Dayton's 160). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $60,930 in Indianapolis to $63,300 in Cincinnati, against $62,500 here. Indianapolis has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton | – | 160 | $62,500 |
| Cincinnati | 47 mi | 330 | $63,300 |
| Columbus | 65 mi | 490 | $63,060 |
| Indianapolis | 104 mi | 1,080 | $60,930 |
| Louisville | 134 mi | 490 | $61,570 |
| Akron | 168 mi | 220 | $61,280 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Dayton crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Dayton in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Convergence Research Center (Wright-Patterson AFB)$250MGroundbreaking underway; first building potentially complete 2027
A 43.5-acre research campus developed by Synergy under a federal enhanced use lease - a hub for academia, government, and industry collaboration on aerospace and defense research.
- Kettering Health Greene County investment$40M ($25M new medical center + $15M hospital renovation)Groundbreaking April 2026, complete late 2028
A new Xenia medical center plus renovations at Greene Memorial Hospital - healthcare-grade MEP work across two facilities.
- Citywide Dayton development wave$1.3B+ across two dozen+ projectsOngoing
Private and public partners investing in Dayton at a level not seen in many years - the broadest capital-project signal in this metro.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Dayton market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Dayton.
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 Dayton.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Dayton?
BLS puts the Dayton median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $62,500 a year, 4% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 27th of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $46,840 to $76,630 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Ohio metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Dayton?
Yes. Dayton has 22% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 160 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 26 security systems integrators here average about 7.0 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Dayton?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Dayton, a $98,070 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Security Systems Installer / Technician at $62,500, 36% below it. Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator is the lowest-paid field role at $61,840. Relative to national pay, Security Systems Installer / Technician is the strongest-paying role here (4% above). Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator trails national pay the most (21% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Dayton?
BLS counted 26 security systems integrators in Dayton in 2023, employing about 181 people between them. Down from 28 in 2018, a 7% decline against 18% growth nationally. That averages 7.0 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $60,882, 24% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Dayton for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cincinnati (47 miles, about 330, $63,300 median), Columbus (65 miles, about 490, $63,060 median) and Indianapolis (104 miles, about 1,080, $60,930 median). Cincinnati has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in Dayton, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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