Physical Security recruiters serving Greenville.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in Greenville than in most of the country, 35% fewer per job, so the roughly 160 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 34 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 Greenville.
BLS counts about 2,280 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Greenville metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,670). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.65). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Greenville: 160 employed · $60,390 median, 59th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Greenville: 1,670 employed · $60,210 median, 74th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Greenville: 1,120 employed · $111,700 median, 52nd-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Greenville: 550 employed · $69,210 median, 103rd-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Greenville: 450 employed · $62,260 median, 101st-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Greenville: 2,640 employed · $74,850 median, 90th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Greenville.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Greenville earn a median $60,390, level with the $60,070 national figure, and 59th of 110 metros. Pay runs $36,550 at the tenth percentile to $76,430 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $62,260 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Greenville 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) | $60,390 | $36,550–$76,430 | $60,070 | +1% | 160 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $60,210 | $45,910–$77,840 | $63,190 | −5% | 1,670 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $111,700 | $73,900–$177,800 | $114,990 | −3% | 1,120 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $69,210 | $46,880–$108,460 | $78,740 | −12% | 550 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $62,260 | $46,360–$92,650 | $78,190 | −20% | 450 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $74,850 | $53,460–$104,610 | $79,920 | −6% | 2,640 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Greenville 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 Greenville's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Greenville rose from 26 in 2018 to 34 in 2023, up 31%, ahead of the 18% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 26 | 34 | +31% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | – | 358 | – |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | – | $59,872 | – |
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
Greenville runs 35% 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 Greenville's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Greenville ranks 76th for headcount, 55th for median pay and 85th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 320 | $60,310 | 1.46 | 39 |
| Charleston | 180 | $61,960 | 0.82 | 27 |
| Greenville | 160 | $60,390 | 0.65 | 34 |
| Myrtle Beach | 90 | $51,140 | 1.11 | 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 Greenville, 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, Greenville metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in South Carolina.
Under the Alarm System Business Act, alarm businesses must be licensed through a qualifying party, and employees with access to client property or alarm records must register. Principal officers, qualifying parties and registered employees need criminal background checks. The same state rules apply in Charleston, Columbia and Myrtle Beach, so candidates licensed there can work in Greenville without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board (South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Greenville talent.
The closest metro we cover is Charlotte, about 90 miles away, with roughly 890 security and fire alarm systems installers (5.6 times Greenville's 160). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $45,740 in Augusta to $61,590 in Charlotte, against $60,390 here. Atlanta has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
What else is competing for Greenville crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Greenville in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- BMW Plant Woodruff EV battery facility315 acres, 1M+ sq ft (part of BMW's $1.7B completed SC investment)Completing 2026
A sixth-generation battery manufacturing facility supplying fully electric BMWs assembled at nearby Plant Spartanburg. Includes a technology building plus support buildings (cafeteria, fire department, energy center). More than 300 jobs onsite with room to grow.
- BMW iX5 EV assembly launch (Plant Spartanburg)Part of BMW's $1.7B South Carolina investmentAssembly beginning before end of 2026
The first fully electric BMW assembled in the US. By 2030, BMW plans to assemble at least six fully electric models in South Carolina, supported by locally-made batteries from Plant Woodruff.
- I-85 Greenville-Spartanburg corridor studyState-funded planning phase2026
A comprehensive study setting the stage for major capacity improvements on the corridor connecting the region's two BMW campuses and broader manufacturing base.
These are the 3 projects we track in Greenville. The Greenville market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Greenville.
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 Greenville.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Greenville?
BLS puts the Greenville median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $60,390 a year, about the same as the $60,070 national median. That ranks 59th of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Experience carries a clear premium, $36,550 at the 10th percentile against $76,430 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. No other South Carolina metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Greenville?
Yes. Greenville has 35% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 160 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 34 security systems integrators here average about 11 employees per location. With 31% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Greenville?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Greenville, a $111,700 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $62,260, 44% below it. Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the lowest-paid field role at $60,210. Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator trails national pay the most (20% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Greenville?
BLS counted 34 security systems integrators in Greenville in 2023, employing about 358 people between them. Up from 26 in 2018, a 31% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 11 people per location. They pay an average of $59,872, 25% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Greenville for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Charlotte (91 miles, about 890, $61,590 median), Columbia (97 miles, about 320, $60,310 median) and Augusta (98 miles, about 40, $45,740 median). Charlotte has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Greenville out-pays Augusta, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in Greenville, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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