Physical Security recruiters serving Lancaster.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in Lancaster than in most of the country, 38% fewer per job, so the roughly 90 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 9 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 Lancaster.
BLS counts about 1,440 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Lancaster metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,220). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.62). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Lancaster: 90 employed · $58,290 median, 77th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Lancaster: 1,220 employed · $63,490 median, 50th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Lancaster: 440 employed · $101,490 median, 96th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Lancaster: 700 employed · $77,450 median, 64th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Lancaster: 130 employed · $66,560 median, 83rd-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Lancaster: 1,630 employed · $76,300 median, 76th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Lancaster.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Lancaster earn a median $58,290, level with the $60,070 national figure, and 77th of 110 metros. Pay runs $39,860 at the tenth percentile to $75,240 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $66,560 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Lancaster 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) | $58,290 | $39,860–$75,240 | $60,070 | −3% | 90 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $63,490 | $41,000–$133,150 | $63,190 | 0% | 1,220 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $101,490 | $78,660–$158,140 | $114,990 | −12% | 440 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $77,450 | $51,600–$123,770 | $78,740 | −2% | 700 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $66,560 | $47,950–$91,260 | $78,190 | −15% | 130 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $76,300 | $56,750–$116,900 | $79,920 | −5% | 1,630 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Lancaster 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 Lancaster's physical security market has changed since 2018.
Lancaster lost security systems integrators between 2018 and 2023, from 13 business locations to 9 (down 31%), behind the 18% growth nationally. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. Headcount at those firms went down 41%, to about 101 people. Average annual pay there went from $51,566 to $73,805 (+43%), faster than the 26% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 13 | 9 | −31% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 172 | 101 | −41% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $51,566 | $73,805 | +43% |
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
Lancaster runs 38% 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 Lancaster's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Lancaster ranks 92nd for headcount, 72nd for median pay and 87th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 1,290 | $61,870 | 0.80 | 190 |
| Pittsburgh | 600 | $59,440 | 0.96 | 47 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 300 | $61,280 | 1.45 | 26 |
| Scranton | 110 | $56,790 | 0.76 | 8 |
| Lancaster | 90 | $58,290 | 0.62 | 9 |
| Harrisburg | 60 | $59,990 | 0.33 | 13 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Lancaster, 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, Lancaster metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania does not license alarm or security system installers, and it does not license electricians either. The Department of Labor and Industry states that the Commonwealth has no licensure or certification requirement for most construction contractors or their employees, and directs contractors to their municipality. The state-level credentials people confuse this with, Act 235 lethal weapons certification and private detective licensing through the county Court of Common Pleas, apply to armed and investigative guard work rather than to installation technicians. Hire against the municipal trade license, for example an electrical contractor license from Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections, and note that Attorney General home improvement contractor registration applies only to residential work. The same state rules apply in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown-Bethlehem, Harrisburg and Scranton, so candidates licensed there can work in Lancaster without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: No state license; regulated locally, with Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections issuing trade licenses including the electrical contractor license. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Lancaster talent.
The closest metro we cover is Harrisburg, about 35 miles away, with roughly 60 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.7 times Lancaster's 90). Washington, D.C. pays the most nearby, a $66,790 median, 15% above Lancaster. That is the number any Lancaster offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Washington, D.C. has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | – | 90 | $58,290 |
| Harrisburg | 35 mi | 60 | $59,990 |
| Baltimore | 54 mi | 1,220 | $62,130 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 58 mi | 300 | $61,280 |
| Philadelphia | 61 mi | 1,290 | $61,870 |
| Washington, D.C. | 88 mi | 1,610 | $66,790 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Lancaster crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Lancaster in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center$375M (hospital already open)Continued fit-out; further expansion planned within 3-4 years
An already-operating hospital continuing to build out additional clinical areas to meet growing regional demand.
- GSK Marietta pharmaceutical facility expansionUp to $800MDrug substance facility operational by end of 2027
Doubling the size of GSK's existing Lancaster County manufacturing facility and adding 215 jobs.
- Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Trauma & ED expansion$182M (84,000 sq ft)Completed June 2024
A single-story addition that nearly doubled ED capacity to 96 beds and 130,000+ annual patient visits, with new trauma bays and behavioral-health and pediatric treatment rooms - a completed, historical example of the healthcare-construction capacity this metro delivers, not an active current driver.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Lancaster market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Lancaster.
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 Lancaster.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Lancaster?
BLS puts the Lancaster median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $58,290 a year, about the same as the $60,070 national median. That ranks 77th of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $39,860 and $75,240, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Pennsylvania, Philadelphia pays more, at $61,870.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Lancaster?
Yes. Lancaster has 38% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 90 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 9 security systems integrators here average about 11 employees per location. There are 31% fewer of those firms than in 2018, so experienced people have fewer local employers to move between.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Lancaster?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Lancaster, a $101,490 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $66,560, 34% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $58,290. Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator trails national pay the most (15% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Lancaster?
BLS counted 9 security systems integrators in Lancaster in 2023, employing about 101 people between them. Down from 13 in 2018, a 31% decline against 18% growth nationally. That averages 11 people per location. They pay an average of $73,805, 8% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Lancaster for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Harrisburg (35 miles, about 60, $59,990 median), Baltimore (54 miles, about 1,220, $62,130 median) and Allentown-Bethlehem (58 miles, about 300, $61,280 median). Baltimore has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Baltimore pays 7% more, which is where Lancaster employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in Lancaster, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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