Physical Security recruiters serving Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids has 32% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 440 in the metro. BLS counts 16 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 Grand Rapids.
BLS counts about 3,690 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Grand Rapids metro, the largest group being electricians (about 2,880). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.32). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Grand Rapids: 440 employed · $60,820 median, 51st-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Grand Rapids: 2,880 employed · $62,240 median, 61st-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Grand Rapids: 1,290 employed · $102,370 median, 88th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Grand Rapids: 1,100 employed · $76,030 median, 74th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Grand Rapids: 370 employed · $64,090 median, 94th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Grand Rapids: 2,490 employed · $75,350 median, 85th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Grand Rapids.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Grand Rapids earn a median $60,820, level with the $60,070 national figure, and 51st of 110 metros. Pay runs $37,600 at the tenth percentile to $65,810 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $64,090 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Grand Rapids 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) | $60,820 | $37,600–$65,810 | $60,070 | +1% | 440 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $62,240 | $38,490–$97,760 | $63,190 | −2% | 2,880 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $102,370 | $61,910–$167,650 | $114,990 | −11% | 1,290 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $76,030 | $49,790–$117,320 | $78,740 | −3% | 1,100 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $64,090 | $46,350–$85,510 | $78,190 | −18% | 370 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $75,350 | $52,470–$113,990 | $79,920 | −6% | 2,490 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Grand Rapids rose from 12 in 2018 to 16 in 2023, up 33%, ahead of the 18% national rise. 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 | 12 | 16 | +33% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 501 | – | – |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $61,496 | – | – |
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
Grand Rapids runs 32% 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 Grand Rapids's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Grand Rapids ranks 46th for headcount, 47th for median pay and 29th 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 Grand Rapids, 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, Grand Rapids 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 Detroit, so candidates licensed there can work in Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids talent.
The closest metro we cover is Milwaukee, about 115 miles away, with roughly 270 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.6 times Grand Rapids's 440). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $55,560 in Detroit to $63,240 in Madison, against $60,820 here. Chicago has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | – | 440 | $60,820 |
| Milwaukee | 113 mi | 270 | $62,460 |
| Chicago | 127 mi | 1,510 | $61,310 |
| Detroit | 140 mi | 1,160 | $55,560 |
| Madison | 189 mi | 130 | $63,240 |
| Indianapolis | 222 mi | 1,080 | $60,930 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Grand Rapids crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Grand Rapids in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Van Andel Institute Phase II research expansion$178M (completed 2009)Completed 2009 -- not a current project
Wet-lab research space with capacity for 12-15 additional principal investigators. Lab-grade mechanical, electrical, and process-utility construction distinct from hospital work.
- Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital addition$1.34BConstruction starting summer 2027, complete 2030
780,000 sq ft and 180 rooms added to Butterworth Hospital. Hospital-grade mechanical, medical gas plumbing, and ICRA-compliant construction at the anchor of Grand Rapids' "Medical Mile."
- Joan Secchia Children's Rehabilitation Hospital$60MOpening fall 2026
A pediatric rehabilitation hospital built across the street from Mary Free Bed, connected by a pedestrian walkway - adds another hospital-grade construction project to the Medical Mile corridor.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Grand Rapids market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Grand Rapids.
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 Grand Rapids.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Grand Rapids?
BLS puts the Grand Rapids median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $60,820 a year, about the same as the $60,070 national median. That ranks 51st of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $37,600 and $65,810, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Michigan metro we cover pays more for this work (Detroit: $55,560).
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Grand Rapids?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 32% more of the Grand Rapids workforce than they do nationally, about 440 people. With 33% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Grand Rapids?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Grand Rapids, a $102,370 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $64,090, 37% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $60,820. Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator trails national pay the most (18% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Grand Rapids?
BLS counted 16 security systems integrators in Grand Rapids in 2023. Up from 12 in 2018, a 33% 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 Grand Rapids for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (113 miles, about 270, $62,460 median), Chicago (127 miles, about 1,510, $61,310 median) and Detroit (140 miles, about 1,160, $55,560 median). Chicago has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Grand Rapids out-pays Detroit, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Grand Rapids 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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