Physical Security recruiters serving Durham-Chapel Hill.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in Durham-Chapel Hill than in most of the country, 57% fewer per job, so the roughly 80 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 17 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 Durham-Chapel Hill.
BLS counts about 1,540 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Durham-Chapel Hill metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,160). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.43). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Durham-Chapel Hill: 80 employed · $47,050 median, 106th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Durham-Chapel Hill: 1,160 employed · $59,220 median, 78th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Durham-Chapel Hill: 760 employed · $119,980 median, 36th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Durham-Chapel Hill: 360 employed · $80,800 median, 32nd-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Durham-Chapel Hill: 300 employed · $64,320 median, 92nd-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Durham-Chapel Hill: 1,270 employed · $75,430 median, 84th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Durham-Chapel Hill.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Durham-Chapel Hill earn a median $47,050, 22% under the $60,070 national figure, and 106th of 110 metros. Pay runs $38,560 at the tenth percentile to $75,800 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $64,320 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Durham-Chapel Hill 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) | $47,050 | $38,560–$75,800 | $60,070 | −22% | 80 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $59,220 | $46,160–$75,800 | $63,190 | −6% | 1,160 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $119,980 | $77,550–$200,870 | $114,990 | +4% | 760 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $80,800 | $43,800–$131,400 | $78,740 | +3% | 360 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $64,320 | $56,010–$95,950 | $78,190 | −18% | 300 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $75,430 | $48,690–$101,640 | $79,920 | −6% | 1,270 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Durham-Chapel Hill 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 Durham-Chapel Hill's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Durham-Chapel Hill rose from 12 in 2018 to 17 in 2023, up 42%, ahead of the 18% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 12 | 17 | +42% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | – | 56 | – |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | – | $68,398 | – |
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
Durham-Chapel Hill runs 57% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Durham-Chapel Hill ranks 95th for headcount, 97th for median pay and 96th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers. That makes it one of the thinnest physical security labor markets we recruit in.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 890 | $61,590 | 1.18 | 102 |
| Raleigh | 600 | $59,580 | 1.45 | 54 |
| Greensboro | 210 | $51,500 | 1.04 | 20 |
| Winston-Salem | 130 | $49,180 | 0.84 | 13 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 80 | $47,050 | 0.43 | 17 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Durham-Chapel Hill, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Durham-Chapel Hill metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in North Carolina.
Businesses that sell, install, service or monitor security systems, including security cameras, must be licensed through a qualifying individual, and their employees must register. Applicants submit FBI fingerprint cards for criminal record checks. The same state rules apply in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Winston-Salem, so candidates licensed there can work in Durham-Chapel Hill without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Alarm Systems Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Durham-Chapel Hill talent.
The closest metro we cover is Raleigh, about 20 miles away, with roughly 600 security and fire alarm systems installers (7.5 times Durham-Chapel Hill's 80). Charlotte pays the most nearby, a $61,590 median, 31% above Durham-Chapel Hill. That is the number any Durham-Chapel Hill offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Charlotte has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill | – | 80 | $47,050 |
| Raleigh | 21 mi | 600 | $59,580 |
| Greensboro | 50 mi | 210 | $51,500 |
| Winston-Salem | 75 mi | 130 | $49,180 |
| Charlotte | 121 mi | 890 | $61,590 |
| Richmond | 134 mi | 500 | $59,560 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Durham-Chapel Hill crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Durham-Chapel Hill in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- AbbVie pharmaceutical manufacturing campus$1.4BConstruction begins 2026, completion by end of 2028
185 acres near Research Triangle Park - small volume parenteral drug manufacturing, next-generation labs, a warehouse, and administrative/wellness facilities. 734 direct jobs over 4 years and 2,000+ construction jobs during buildout.
- UNC-Chapel Hill Carolina North campus extensionUndisclosedSite prep ahead of a projected summer 2027 groundbreaking
A planned campus extension with initial infrastructure work now underway.
- Novartis biologics manufacturing investment$771M (across Durham and Wake counties)Multi-year buildout
Two new facilities for biologics manufacturing and sterile packaging, plus an expansion of Novartis' existing Durham facility to add sterile filling of biologics into syringes and vials - about 700 jobs.
These are the 3 projects we track in Durham-Chapel Hill. The Durham-Chapel Hill market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Durham-Chapel Hill.
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 Durham-Chapel Hill.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Durham-Chapel Hill?
BLS puts the Durham-Chapel Hill median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $47,050 a year, 22% below the $60,070 national median. That ranks 106th of 110 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $38,560 and $75,800, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within North Carolina, Charlotte pays more, at $61,590.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Yes. Durham-Chapel Hill has 57% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 80 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 17 security systems integrators here average about 3.3 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 42% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Durham-Chapel Hill, a $119,980 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $64,320, 46% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $47,050. Relative to national pay, Security Systems Project Manager is the strongest-paying role here (4% above). Security Systems Installer / Technician trails national pay the most (22% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Durham-Chapel Hill?
BLS counted 17 security systems integrators in Durham-Chapel Hill in 2023, employing about 56 people between them. Up from 12 in 2018, a 42% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 3.3 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $68,398, 15% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Durham-Chapel Hill for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Raleigh (21 miles, about 600, $59,580 median), Greensboro (50 miles, about 210, $51,500 median) and Winston-Salem (75 miles, about 130, $49,180 median). Raleigh has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Raleigh pays 27% more, which is where Durham-Chapel Hill employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in Durham-Chapel Hill, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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