Physical Security recruiters serving Lakeland.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in Lakeland than in most of the country, 49% fewer per job, so the roughly 70 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 21 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 Lakeland.
BLS counts about 1,150 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Lakeland metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,020). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.51). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Lakeland: 70 employed · $52,580 median, 91st-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Lakeland: 1,020 employed · $54,920 median, 101st-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Lakeland: 630 employed · $106,140 median, 68th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Lakeland: 360 employed · $70,640 median, 100th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Lakeland: 60 employed · $67,680 median, 78th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Lakeland: 1,860 employed · $74,500 median, 92nd-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Lakeland.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Lakeland earn a median $52,580, 12% under the $60,070 national figure, and 91st of 110 metros. Pay runs $35,380 at the tenth percentile to $83,490 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $67,680 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Lakeland 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) | $52,580 | $35,380–$83,490 | $60,070 | −12% | 70 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $54,920 | $37,240–$75,750 | $63,190 | −13% | 1,020 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $106,140 | $60,840–$176,860 | $114,990 | −8% | 630 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $70,640 | $42,250–$122,850 | $78,740 | −10% | 360 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $67,680 | $49,210–$100,420 | $78,190 | −13% | 60 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $74,500 | $48,840–$101,310 | $79,920 | −7% | 1,860 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Lakeland 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 Lakeland's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Lakeland rose from 13 in 2018 to 21 in 2023, up 62%, ahead of the 18% national rise. Headcount at those firms went down 10%, to about 94 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $57,397 to $50,395 (−12%), slower than the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 13 | 21 | +62% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 105 | 94 | −10% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $57,397 | $50,395 | −12% |
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
Lakeland runs 49% 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 Lakeland's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Lakeland ranks 96th for headcount, 85th for median pay and 94th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 2,220 | $60,560 | 1.42 | 369 |
| Orlando | 1,430 | $60,380 | 1.82 | 133 |
| Tampa | 1,110 | $61,040 | 1.38 | 146 |
| Jacksonville | 1,090 | $60,670 | 2.56 | 66 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | 330 | $60,440 | 1.95 | 54 |
| North Port-Sarasota | 260 | $58,550 | 1.36 | 39 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | 170 | $59,620 | 1.27 | 26 |
| Port St. Lucie | 110 | $59,280 | 1.17 | 20 |
| Pensacola | 110 | $54,600 | 1.02 | 17 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 90 | $51,970 | 0.74 | 20 |
| Lakeland | 70 | $52,580 | 0.51 | 21 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Lakeland, 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, Lakeland metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Florida.
Alarm contractors are licensed as Alarm System Contractor I (all alarm systems) or II (excluding fire). Employees doing alarm work must be certified as alarm system agents, which requires board-approved training and an FDLE fingerprint background check every two years. The same state rules apply in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, North Port-Sarasota, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Deltona-Daytona, Palm Bay-Melbourne, Port St. Lucie and Pensacola, so candidates licensed there can work in Lakeland without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board (Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Lakeland talent.
The closest metro we cover is Tampa, about 30 miles away, with roughly 1,110 security and fire alarm systems installers (15.9 times Lakeland's 70). Tampa pays the most nearby, a $61,040 median, 16% above Lakeland. That is the number any Lakeland offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Orlando has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland | – | 70 | $52,580 |
| Tampa | 32 mi | 1,110 | $61,040 |
| Orlando | 49 mi | 1,430 | $60,380 |
| North Port-Sarasota | 71 mi | 260 | $58,550 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 73 mi | 90 | $51,970 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | 83 mi | 170 | $59,620 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Lakeland crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Lakeland in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- AdventHealth medical complex (Polk Parkway/Harden Blvd)Undisclosed (up to 720,000 sq ft)Free-standing ER as early as 2026; full 400-bed hospital 2028-2029
A separate 400-bed hospital campus with medical offices, an apartment complex, and retail space - the third concurrent hospital-scale project in this metro. The full hospital opens later than the initial ER; a 2027 date understates the timeline for the full campus.
- AdventHealth Winter Haven hospitalUndisclosedPlanned
A four-story, 192-bed hospital with a dedicated emergency department, medical offices, and ancillary facilities.
- Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands HospitalUndisclosedOpened July 8, 2026
Lakeland's first new hospital in a century - a 7-story, 306-bed facility with inpatient care, ICU/progressive care, an emergency department, and 13 ORs now receiving patients; labor/delivery and NICU beds expected to open in the coming months, plus two new Watson Clinic locations on the same site.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Lakeland market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Lakeland.
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 Lakeland.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Lakeland?
BLS puts the Lakeland median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $52,580 a year, 12% below the $60,070 national median. That ranks 91st of 110 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. The range is unusually wide: $35,380 at the bottom tenth against $83,490 at the top tenth, a 2.4x gap. Senior people here are priced far above the median. Within Florida, Tampa pays more, at $61,040.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Lakeland?
Yes. Lakeland has 49% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 70 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 21 security systems integrators here average about 4.5 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 62% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Lakeland?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Lakeland, a $106,140 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $67,680, 36% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $52,580. Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator trails national pay the most (13% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Lakeland?
BLS counted 21 security systems integrators in Lakeland in 2023, employing about 94 people between them. Up from 13 in 2018, a 62% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 4.5 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $50,395, 37% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Lakeland for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Tampa (32 miles, about 1,110, $61,040 median), Orlando (49 miles, about 1,430, $60,380 median) and North Port-Sarasota (71 miles, about 260, $58,550 median). Tampa has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Tampa pays 16% more, which is where Lakeland employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in Lakeland, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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