Physical Security recruiters serving Detroit.
About 1,160 security and fire alarm systems installers work in the Detroit metro, at a $55,560 median. BLS counts 83 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 Detroit.
BLS counts about 13,520 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Detroit metro, the largest group being electricians (about 11,210). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.09). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Detroit: 1,160 employed · $55,560 median, 87th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Detroit: 11,210 employed · $81,990 median, 7th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Detroit: 3,970 employed · $109,890 median, 56th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Detroit: 3,400 employed · $80,200 median, 35th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Detroit: 1,150 employed · $77,150 median, 45th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Detroit: 6,600 employed · $80,610 median, 45th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Detroit.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Detroit earn a median $55,560, 8% under the $60,070 national figure, and 87th of 110 metros. Pay runs $36,950 at the tenth percentile to $69,370 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $81,990 against $63,190 nationally.
| Role | Detroit 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) | $55,560 | $36,950–$69,370 | $60,070 | −8% | 1,160 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $81,990 | $46,660–$107,330 | $63,190 | +30% | 11,210 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $109,890 | $64,160–$179,390 | $114,990 | −4% | 3,970 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $80,200 | $47,640–$130,140 | $78,740 | +2% | 3,400 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $77,150 | $47,840–$100,840 | $78,190 | −1% | 1,150 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $80,610 | $60,310–$124,550 | $79,920 | +1% | 6,600 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Detroit 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 Detroit's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Detroit rose from 64 in 2018 to 83 in 2023, up 30%, ahead of the 18% national rise. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Detroit, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 64 | 83 | +30% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 1,205 | – | – |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $71,707 | – | – |
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
Detroit runs 9% more physical security workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Detroit's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Detroit ranks 15th for headcount, 82nd for median pay and 48th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 1,160 | $55,560 | 1.09 | 83 |
| Grand Rapids | 440 | $60,820 | 1.32 | 16 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Detroit, the pool is about the national norm for its size, so difficulty depends on the role more than the market.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Detroit metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Michigan.
Security alarm businesses need a Security Alarm Contractor Agency license under the Private Security Business and Security Alarm Act. Licensees must fingerprint prospective employees who will work as security alarm system agents. The same state rules apply in Grand Rapids, so candidates licensed there can work in Detroit without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Detroit talent.
The closest metro we cover is Cleveland, about 90 miles away, with roughly 580 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.5 times Detroit's 1,160). Columbus pays the most nearby, a $63,060 median, 13% above Detroit. That is the number any Detroit offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Detroit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | – | 1,160 | $55,560 |
| Cleveland | 90 mi | 580 | $62,660 |
| Akron | 117 mi | 220 | $61,280 |
| Grand Rapids | 140 mi | 440 | $60,820 |
| Columbus | 164 mi | 490 | $63,060 |
| Dayton | 187 mi | 160 | $62,500 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Detroit crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Detroit in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) modernizationScale not independently verifiedPhased
Terminal and airfield upgrades are real and ongoing, but no current $1B+ DTW capital plan was found in public sources - recent confirmed figures are much smaller (e.g., a ~$38M terminal renovation). Treat as a smaller, phased program rather than a billion-dollar pipeline.
- Ford Michigan Central Station district$950M+Ongoing
Restored rail depot now an innovation/mobility campus. Adaptive-reuse and new-build commercial construction with high-spec finishes and advanced systems.
- Henry Ford Health "Destination: Grand" tower$2.2BRolling
Henry Ford's own flagship expansion project - this figure belongs to Henry Ford specifically, not a combined Corewell/Henry Ford total. Corewell (formerly Beaumont) has separate, smaller ongoing capital work. Hospital-grade mechanical, medical gas, and process piping - steady multi-year demand.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Detroit market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Detroit.
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 Detroit.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Detroit?
BLS puts the Detroit median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $55,560 a year, 8% below the $60,070 national median. That ranks 87th of 110 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $36,950 and $69,370, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Michigan, Grand Rapids pays more, at $60,820.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Detroit?
It is about average. Security and fire alarm systems installers are as common in Detroit as they are nationally (location quotient 1.09), with about 1,160 in the metro. With 30% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Detroit?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Detroit, a $109,890 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) at $81,990, 25% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $55,560. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (30% above). Security Systems Installer / Technician trails national pay the most (8% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Detroit?
BLS counted 83 security systems integrators in Detroit in 2023. Up from 64 in 2018, a 30% 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 Detroit for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cleveland (90 miles, about 580, $62,660 median), Akron (117 miles, about 220, $61,280 median) and Grand Rapids (140 miles, about 440, $60,820 median). Cleveland pays 13% more, which is where Detroit employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
83 security systems integrators in Detroit are drawing on the same 1,160 security and fire alarm systems installers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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