Physical Security recruiters serving El Paso.
El Paso has 155% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 480 in the metro. BLS counts 33 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 El Paso.
BLS counts about 2,020 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the El Paso metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,380). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 2.55). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
El Paso: 480 employed · $55,420 median, 88th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
El Paso: 1,380 employed · $48,140 median, 111th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
El Paso: 1,000 employed · $84,030 median, 110th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
El Paso: 410 employed · $60,880 median, 111th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
El Paso: 160 employed · $62,680 median, 98th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
El Paso: 1,380 employed · $62,870 median, 108th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in El Paso.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in El Paso earn a median $55,420, 8% under the $60,070 national figure, and 88th of 110 metros. Pay runs $36,650 at the tenth percentile to $72,970 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $62,680 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | El Paso 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) | $55,420 | $36,650–$72,970 | $60,070 | −8% | 480 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $48,140 | $34,710–$71,530 | $63,190 | −24% | 1,380 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $84,030 | $57,270–$137,990 | $114,990 | −27% | 1,000 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $60,880 | $35,340–$99,930 | $78,740 | −23% | 410 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $62,680 | $39,510–$96,750 | $78,190 | −20% | 160 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $62,870 | $46,010–$89,980 | $79,920 | −21% | 1,380 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, El Paso 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 El Paso's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in El Paso rose from 25 in 2018 to 33 in 2023, up 32%, ahead of the 18% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 89%, to about 457 people. Average annual pay there went from $48,641 to $103,314 (+112%), faster than the 26% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 25 | 33 | +32% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 242 | 457 | +89% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $48,641 | $103,314 | +112% |
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
El Paso runs 155% 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 El Paso's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, El Paso ranks 44th for headcount, 83rd for median pay and 2nd for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers. That puts it among the deepest physical security labor markets in the country.
| 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 El Paso, 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, El Paso 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 Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and McAllen, so candidates licensed there can work in El Paso without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for El Paso talent.
The closest metro we cover is Albuquerque, about 230 miles away, with roughly 460 security and fire alarm systems installers (1.0 times El Paso's 480). Albuquerque pays the most nearby, a $61,240 median, 11% above El Paso. That is the number any El Paso offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. El Paso 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso | – | 480 | $55,420 |
| Albuquerque | 230 mi | 460 | $61,240 |
| Tucson | 262 mi | 170 | $47,690 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for El Paso crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into El Paso in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Meta data center (Northeast El Paso)$14B (up from initial $1.5B; Meta has since sold an 80% stake to BlackRock)Power infrastructure online by 2027
813 modular gas generators delivering 366MW ($473M alone), plus the broader hyperscale data center campus. About 4,000 construction workers expected on-site at peak - the single largest capital project in this metro's history.
- El Paso VA Health Care Center (Fort Bliss)$620M+Broke ground 2024, completion now August 2029
A 492,000 sq ft medical center serving 54,000 veterans with outpatient, mental health, primary care, ambulatory care, and ancillary services.
- Fox Cancer Center (Texas Tech Health El Paso)$340MUnder construction near I-10 East/Reynolds
A dedicated cancer treatment facility - healthcare-grade MEP and specialty medical construction.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The El Paso market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in El Paso.
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 El Paso.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in El Paso?
BLS puts the El Paso median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $55,420 a year, 8% below the $60,070 national median. That ranks 88th of 110 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $36,650 and $72,970, 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 El Paso?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 155% more of the El Paso workforce than they do nationally, about 480 people. The 33 security systems integrators here average about 14 employees per location. With 32% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in El Paso?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in El Paso, an $84,030 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $62,680, 25% below it. Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the lowest-paid field role at $48,140. Security Systems Project Manager trails national pay the most (27% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in El Paso?
BLS counted 33 security systems integrators in El Paso in 2023, employing about 457 people between them. Up from 25 in 2018, a 32% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 14 people per location. They pay an average of $103,314, 29% above the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with El Paso for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Albuquerque (230 miles, about 460, $61,240 median) and Tucson (262 miles, about 170, $47,690 median). Albuquerque pays 11% more, which is where El Paso employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
El Paso 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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