Physical Security recruiters serving Madison.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in Madison than in most of the country, 44% fewer per job, so the roughly 130 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 16 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 Madison.
BLS counts about 2,160 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Madison metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,760). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.56). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Madison: 130 employed · $63,240 median, 21st-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Madison: 1,760 employed · $78,430 median, 13th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Madison: 860 employed · $119,840 median, 37th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Madison: 720 employed · $73,420 median, 85th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Madison: 270 employed · $65,420 median, 88th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Madison: 2,320 employed · $93,290 median, 18th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Madison.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Madison earn a median $63,240, 5% over the $60,070 national figure, and 21st of 110 metros. Pay runs $49,210 at the tenth percentile to $78,940 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $78,430 against $63,190 nationally.
| Role | Madison 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) | $63,240 | $49,210–$78,940 | $60,070 | +5% | 130 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $78,430 | $45,050–$102,860 | $63,190 | +24% | 1,760 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $119,840 | $77,540–$174,130 | $114,990 | +4% | 860 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $73,420 | $55,710–$109,260 | $78,740 | −7% | 720 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $65,420 | $51,120–$105,260 | $78,190 | −16% | 270 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $93,290 | $53,750–$128,400 | $79,920 | +17% | 2,320 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Madison 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 Madison's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Madison rose from 14 in 2018 to 16 in 2023, up 14%, behind the 18% growth nationally. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 181. Average annual pay there went from $62,192 to $69,134 (+11%), slower than the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 14 | 16 | +14% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 182 | 181 | −1% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $62,192 | $69,134 | +11% |
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
Madison runs 44% 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 Madison's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Madison ranks 84th for headcount, 20th for median pay and 90th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 270 | $62,460 | 0.59 | 30 |
| Madison | 130 | $63,240 | 0.56 | 16 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Madison, 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, Madison metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin issues no alarm installer, security systems installer or low voltage technician credential, and none appears in the Department of Safety and Professional Services list of licensed professions. The state credentials that exist in this space are the Electrical Contractor license and the master, journeyman, residential and registered electrician credentials, all issued by DSPS. Whether a given low voltage security scope falls inside the electrical contractor requirement is governed by the exemptions in Wisconsin Statute 101.862(4) and Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 305.41, which should be confirmed with DSPS for a specific scope of work rather than assumed. There is no state security technician card and no state fingerprint program for this trade, so verify the company's DSPS electrical credential and the local permit requirements. The same state rules apply in Milwaukee, so candidates licensed there can work in Madison without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (electrical contractor and electrician credentials only; no alarm installer credential). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Madison talent.
The closest metro we cover is Milwaukee, about 75 miles away, with roughly 270 security and fire alarm systems installers (2.1 times Madison's 130). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $60,820 in Grand Rapids to $64,270 in Des Moines, against $63,240 here. Chicago has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | – | 130 | $63,240 |
| Milwaukee | 76 mi | 270 | $62,460 |
| Chicago | 123 mi | 1,510 | $61,310 |
| Grand Rapids | 189 mi | 440 | $60,820 |
| Minneapolis | 233 mi | 610 | $62,720 |
| Des Moines | 238 mi | 280 | $64,270 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Madison crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Madison in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- UW Health University Hospital addition$177MConcluding late 2026
A six-story addition with 22 emergency department rooms, 22 flexible care beds, 48 inpatient rooms, and a dedicated trauma/life support center.
- UW Health East Madison Hospital addition$133MFinishing end of 2026
A one-story addition adding 6 operating rooms, 14 inpatient beds, and 60 post-surgery care spaces.
- Epic Systems sixth campus ("Other Worlds")$13.2M water/sewer + $20M road work reimbursements (public infrastructure support)First buildings occupied early 2026
A "Black Hole" parking structure with 2,000+ stalls, three new office buildings, a food services building, and a 5.5-acre underground parking ramp on part of Epic's ~1,700-acre Verona campus.
These are the 3 projects we track in Madison. The Madison market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Madison.
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 Madison.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Madison?
BLS puts the Madison median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $63,240 a year, 5% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 21st of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $49,210 to $78,940 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Wisconsin metro we cover pays more for this work (Milwaukee: $62,460).
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Madison?
Yes. Madison has 44% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 130 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 16 security systems integrators here average about 11 employees per location. With 14% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Madison?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Madison, a $119,840 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) at $78,430, 35% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $63,240. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (24% above). Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator trails national pay the most (16% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Madison?
BLS counted 16 security systems integrators in Madison in 2023, employing about 181 people between them. Up from 14 in 2018, a 14% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 11 people per location. They pay an average of $69,134, 14% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Madison for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (76 miles, about 270, $62,460 median), Chicago (123 miles, about 1,510, $61,310 median) and Grand Rapids (189 miles, about 440, $60,820 median). Milwaukee has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in Madison, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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