Physical Security recruiters serving Los Angeles.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Los Angeles earn a $71,570 median, 19% above the national figure, and about 2,960 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 360 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 Los Angeles.
BLS counts about 26,800 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Los Angeles metro, the largest group being electricians (about 20,610). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.85). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Los Angeles: 2,960 employed · $71,570 median, 9th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Los Angeles: 20,610 employed · $73,810 median, 33rd-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Los Angeles: 10,120 employed · $131,680 median, 12th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Los Angeles: 7,600 employed · $82,260 median, 23rd-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Los Angeles: 3,230 employed · $81,940 median, 28th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Los Angeles: 19,690 employed · $97,600 median, 11th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Los Angeles.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Los Angeles earn a median $71,570, 19% over the $60,070 national figure, and 9th of 110 metros. Pay runs $46,680 at the tenth percentile to $99,300 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $81,940 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Los Angeles 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) | $71,570 | $46,680–$99,300 | $60,070 | +19% | 2,960 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $73,810 | $46,140–$131,680 | $63,190 | +17% | 20,610 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $131,680 | $75,730–$212,330 | $114,990 | +15% | 10,120 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $82,260 | $51,220–$140,390 | $78,740 | +4% | 7,600 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $81,940 | $49,170–$128,100 | $78,190 | +5% | 3,230 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $97,600 | $58,240–$154,940 | $79,920 | +22% | 19,690 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Los Angeles rose from 313 in 2018 to 360 in 2023, up 15%, behind the 18% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 8%, to about 5,728 people. Average annual pay there went from $64,116 to $78,974 (+23%), slower than the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 313 | 360 | +15% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 5,303 | 5,728 | +8% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $64,116 | $78,974 | +23% |
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
Los Angeles runs 15% fewer physical security workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Los Angeles's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Los Angeles ranks 3rd for headcount, 9th for median pay and 70th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers. Pay here is among the highest we see, so offers need to start near the top of the range.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 2,960 | $71,570 | 0.85 | 360 |
| San Francisco | 1,030 | $79,350 | 0.78 | 123 |
| Riverside | 980 | $64,550 | 1.03 | 106 |
| Sacramento | 570 | $70,830 | 0.94 | 64 |
| San Diego | 540 | $70,380 | 0.63 | 75 |
| San Jose | 320 | $81,980 | 0.50 | 49 |
| Fresno | 190 | $60,950 | 0.73 | 23 |
| Modesto | 140 | $62,230 | 1.27 | 11 |
| Stockton | 110 | $63,670 | 0.71 | 10 |
| Bakersfield | 100 | $57,620 | 0.54 | 18 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Los Angeles, the headline number is misleading. About 2,960 security and fire alarm systems installers work here, one of the larger workforces we cover, but relative to the size of the local economy the trade is thinner than average, so every other employer is drawing on the same people. Local employers are still adding headcount, which keeps competition for experienced people high. Expect to recruit people who are already employed, and to make the case for moving.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Los Angeles metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in California.
Alarm companies must hold an Alarm Company Operator license, and alarm company employees must register with the bureau. Employee applicants go through a criminal history review and Live Scan fingerprinting. The same state rules apply in Riverside, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in Los Angeles without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (California Department of Consumer Affairs). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Los Angeles talent.
The closest metro we cover is Riverside, about 50 miles away, with roughly 980 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.3 times Los Angeles's 2,960). Los Angeles pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($71,570 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Bakersfield at $57,620. Los Angeles is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | – | 2,960 | $71,570 |
| Riverside | 49 mi | 980 | $64,550 |
| Bakersfield | 101 mi | 100 | $57,620 |
| San Diego | 111 mi | 540 | $70,380 |
| Fresno | 205 mi | 190 | $60,950 |
| Las Vegas | 229 mi | 970 | $60,920 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Los Angeles crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Los Angeles in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- LAX Modernization Program (Metro Connector + Terminal upgrades)$30B totalThrough 2030
Largest single airport capital program in US. Airport-grade MEP at scale - terminal expansions, automated people mover, consolidated rent-a-car. Decade-long crew demand.
- Port of LA modernization$2.5B+Through 2028
Heavy mechanical, terminal automation, electrification per CARB regulations.
- Hospital expansion (Cedars-Sinai, Kaiser, Children's Hospital)$3B+ across systemsThrough 2028
OR HVAC, isolation rooms, medical gas. Hospital-grade mechanical work in tight supply.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Los Angeles market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Los Angeles.
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 Los Angeles.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Los Angeles?
BLS puts the Los Angeles median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $71,570 a year, 19% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 9th of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $46,680 at the 10th percentile against $99,300 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. Within California, San Jose pays more, at $81,980.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Los Angeles?
Yes. Los Angeles has 15% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 2,960 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 360 security systems integrators here average about 16 employees per location. With 15% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Los Angeles?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Los Angeles, a $131,680 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $81,940, 38% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $71,570. Relative to national pay, Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead is the strongest-paying role here (22% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in Los Angeles?
BLS counted 360 security systems integrators in Los Angeles in 2023, employing about 5,728 people between them. Up from 313 in 2018, a 15% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 16 people per location. They pay about the national average of $80,288.
Which nearby metros compete with Los Angeles for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Riverside (49 miles, about 980, $64,550 median), Bakersfield (101 miles, about 100, $57,620 median) and San Diego (111 miles, about 540, $70,380 median). Los Angeles out-pays Riverside and Bakersfield, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Deep pool. Heavily fished.
Los Angeles has 2,960 security and fire alarm systems installers, 3rd of the 109 metros we cover, and still 15% fewer per job than the country. The pool is deep and every employer here is fishing it. Let's get to the ones worth moving first.
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