Physical Security recruiters serving Des Moines.
Des Moines has 25% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 280 in the metro. BLS counts 23 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 Des Moines.
BLS counts about 3,380 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Des Moines metro, the largest group being electricians (about 2,870). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.25). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Des Moines: 280 employed · $64,270 median, 15th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Des Moines: 2,870 employed · $62,840 median, 54th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Des Moines: 1,020 employed · $103,920 median, 77th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Des Moines: 550 employed · $78,500 median, 52nd-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Des Moines: 230 employed · $76,440 median, 47th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Des Moines: 2,720 employed · $82,090 median, 39th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Des Moines.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Des Moines earn a median $64,270, 7% over the $60,070 national figure, and 15th of 110 metros. Pay runs $46,090 at the tenth percentile to $80,240 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $76,440 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Des Moines 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) | $64,270 | $46,090–$80,240 | $60,070 | +7% | 280 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $62,840 | $39,740–$92,650 | $63,190 | −1% | 2,870 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $103,920 | $65,560–$201,450 | $114,990 | −10% | 1,020 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,500 | $48,940–$121,400 | $78,740 | 0% | 550 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $76,440 | $58,410–$105,550 | $78,190 | −2% | 230 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $82,090 | $60,380–$103,990 | $79,920 | +3% | 2,720 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Des Moines 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 Des Moines's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Des Moines rose from 21 in 2018 to 23 in 2023, up 10%, behind the 18% growth nationally. BLS stops short of publishing headcount and pay for them here, which happens when a handful of firms account for most of the work.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 21 | 23 | +10% |
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
Des Moines runs 25% 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 Des Moines's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Des Moines ranks 60th for headcount, 14th for median pay and 39th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Des Moines, the local pool is deeper than most, so a well-run search can usually fill field roles from inside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Des Moines metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Iowa.
Companies that install alarm systems that send signals to responders, monitoring centers or individuals need a contractor license, their technicians need a technician license, and both managers and technicians must submit fingerprints. CCTV and door-access systems don't need a license unless they send such notifications.
Licensing authority: Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Des Moines talent.
The closest metro we cover is Omaha, about 125 miles away, with roughly 360 security and fire alarm systems installers (1.3 times Des Moines's 280). Des Moines pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($64,270 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Omaha at $48,820. St. Louis has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | – | 280 | $64,270 |
| Omaha | 123 mi | 360 | $48,820 |
| Kansas City | 180 mi | 660 | $61,480 |
| Minneapolis | 234 mi | 610 | $62,720 |
| Madison | 238 mi | 130 | $63,240 |
| St. Louis | 273 mi | 780 | $58,980 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Des Moines crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Des Moines in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Microsoft Project Ginger West Data Center$1B+Multi-year buildout
A separate ~188-acre campus planned for approximately 1.8 million sq ft of data center space across multiple buildings.
- Weitz data center campusUndisclosed (192-MW capacity)Under construction
A 192-megawatt data center campus in West Des Moines being built for a confidential client.
- Microsoft "Ruthenium" data center$210M+ (part of $6B+ total Microsoft investment in West Des Moines)Construction starting 2026
A 245,000 sq ft first-phase facility housing computer equipment and large-scale web portal services - the latest addition to Microsoft's five existing West Des Moines data center campuses.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Des Moines market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Des Moines.
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 Des Moines.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Des Moines?
BLS puts the Des Moines median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $64,270 a year, 7% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 15th of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $46,090 and $80,240, a 1.7x 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 Des Moines?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 25% more of the Des Moines workforce than they do nationally, about 280 people.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Des Moines?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Des Moines, a $103,920 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $76,440, 26% below it. Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the lowest-paid field role at $62,840. Relative to national pay, Security Systems Installer / Technician is the strongest-paying role here (7% above). Security Systems Project Manager trails national pay the most (10% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Des Moines?
BLS counted 23 security systems integrators in Des Moines in 2023. Up from 21 in 2018, a 10% increase against 18% growth nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers.
Which nearby metros compete with Des Moines for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Omaha (123 miles, about 360, $48,820 median), Kansas City (180 miles, about 660, $61,480 median) and Minneapolis (234 miles, about 610, $62,720 median). Kansas City has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Des Moines out-pays Omaha, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Des Moines 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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