Physical Security recruiters serving Knoxville.
Knoxville has 77% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 420 in the metro. BLS counts 39 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 Knoxville.
BLS counts about 2,880 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Knoxville metro, the largest group being electricians (about 2,170). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.77). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Knoxville: 420 employed · $58,090 median, 78th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Knoxville: 2,170 employed · $58,640 median, 85th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Knoxville: 730 employed · $101,910 median, 92nd-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Knoxville: 540 employed · $72,900 median, 91st-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Knoxville: 290 employed · $67,060 median, 81st-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Knoxville: 2,680 employed · $66,830 median, 107th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Knoxville.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Knoxville earn a median $58,090, 3% under the $60,070 national figure, and 78th of 110 metros. Pay runs $39,270 at the tenth percentile to $79,160 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $67,060 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Knoxville 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) | $58,090 | $39,270–$79,160 | $60,070 | −3% | 420 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $58,640 | $38,020–$79,530 | $63,190 | −7% | 2,170 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $101,910 | $62,210–$169,550 | $114,990 | −11% | 730 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $72,900 | $42,760–$115,860 | $78,740 | −7% | 540 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $67,060 | $42,000–$98,600 | $78,190 | −14% | 290 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $66,830 | $44,810–$104,520 | $79,920 | −16% | 2,680 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Knoxville 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 Knoxville's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Knoxville rose from 28 in 2018 to 39 in 2023, up 39%, ahead of the 18% national rise. Headcount at those firms went down 48%, to about 467 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $44,535 to $67,581 (+52%), faster than the 26% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 28 | 39 | +39% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 902 | 467 | −48% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $44,535 | $67,581 | +52% |
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
Knoxville runs 77% 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 Knoxville's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Knoxville ranks 47th for headcount, 73rd for median pay and 9th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 830 | $57,860 | 1.35 | 91 |
| Memphis | 640 | $57,000 | 1.88 | 49 |
| Knoxville | 420 | $58,090 | 1.77 | 39 |
| Chattanooga | 160 | $48,330 | 1.04 | 22 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Knoxville, 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, Knoxville metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Tennessee.
Alarm contractor companies must be licensed with a qualifying agent, in classifications that include burglar alarm and CCTV. Employees with access to sensitive alarm information must register, and both agents and employees need background checks. The same state rules apply in Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga, so candidates licensed there can work in Knoxville without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Alarm Systems Contractors Board (Department of Commerce and Insurance). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Knoxville talent.
The closest metro we cover is Chattanooga, about 100 miles away, with roughly 160 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.4 times Knoxville's 420). Huntsville pays the most nearby, a $61,080 median, 5% above Knoxville. That is the number any Knoxville offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Atlanta has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | – | 420 | $58,090 |
| Chattanooga | 101 mi | 160 | $48,330 |
| Greenville | 115 mi | 160 | $60,390 |
| Atlanta | 155 mi | 1,380 | $58,990 |
| Nashville | 161 mi | 830 | $57,860 |
| Huntsville | 173 mi | 150 | $61,080 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Knoxville crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Knoxville in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- DOE Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus (finalist)Undisclosed, federalSite selection ongoing
Tennessee is one of just 5 states selected as a finalist out of 26 applicants for a major Department of Energy nuclear research campus - a signal of the region's growing strategic importance to the nuclear-energy sector.
- Oak Ridge federal land reuse~$10B in announced capital investmentOngoing
More than 2,500 acres of federal property transferred to the community for economic reuse, with businesses locating on those sites announcing a combined ~$10B in projected capital investment.
- LIS Technologies laser uranium enrichment facility$1.38BAnnounced 2026
A new facility on the historic K-25 uranium enrichment site, expected to create more than 200 jobs. One of the largest single nuclear-industrial capital commitments in the region's history.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Knoxville market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Knoxville.
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 Knoxville.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Knoxville?
BLS puts the Knoxville median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $58,090 a year, 3% below the $60,070 national median. That ranks 78th of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $39,270 and $79,160, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Tennessee metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Knoxville?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 77% more of the Knoxville workforce than they do nationally, about 420 people. The 39 security systems integrators here average about 12 employees per location. With 39% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Knoxville?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Knoxville, a $101,910 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $67,060, 34% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $58,090. Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead trails national pay the most (16% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Knoxville?
BLS counted 39 security systems integrators in Knoxville in 2023, employing about 467 people between them. Up from 28 in 2018, a 39% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 12 people per location. They pay an average of $67,581, 16% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Knoxville for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Chattanooga (101 miles, about 160, $48,330 median), Greenville (115 miles, about 160, $60,390 median) and Atlanta (155 miles, about 1,380, $58,990 median). Atlanta has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Knoxville out-pays Chattanooga, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Knoxville 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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