Physical Security recruiters serving Milwaukee.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in Milwaukee than in most of the country, 41% fewer per job, so the roughly 270 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 30 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 Milwaukee.
BLS counts about 5,270 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Milwaukee metro, the largest group being electricians (about 4,490). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.59). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Milwaukee: 270 employed · $62,460 median, 28th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Milwaukee: 4,490 employed · $77,800 median, 15th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Milwaukee: 1,680 employed · $119,170 median, 40th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Milwaukee: 1,400 employed · $78,090 median, 55th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Milwaukee: 510 employed · $74,660 median, 57th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Milwaukee: 3,860 employed · $91,760 median, 22nd-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Milwaukee.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Milwaukee earn a median $62,460, 4% over the $60,070 national figure, and 28th of 110 metros. Pay runs $48,920 at the tenth percentile to $81,010 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $77,800 against $63,190 nationally.
| Role | Milwaukee 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) | $62,460 | $48,920–$81,010 | $60,070 | +4% | 270 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $77,800 | $45,170–$103,850 | $63,190 | +23% | 4,490 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $119,170 | $77,170–$169,000 | $114,990 | +4% | 1,680 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,090 | $53,950–$118,700 | $78,740 | −1% | 1,400 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $74,660 | $48,990–$102,950 | $78,190 | −5% | 510 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $91,760 | $50,040–$129,780 | $79,920 | +15% | 3,860 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Milwaukee rose from 25 in 2018 to 30 in 2023, up 20%, close to the 18% national change. BLS stops short of publishing headcount and pay for them here, which happens when a handful of firms account for most of the work.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 25 | 30 | +20% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 239 | – | – |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $63,472 | – | – |
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
Milwaukee runs 41% 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 Milwaukee's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Milwaukee ranks 61st for headcount, 26th for median pay and 89th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| 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 Milwaukee, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Milwaukee 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 Madison, so candidates licensed there can work in Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee talent.
The closest metro we cover is Madison, about 75 miles away, with roughly 130 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.5 times Milwaukee's 270). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $55,560 in Detroit to $63,240 in Madison, against $62,460 here. Chicago has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | – | 270 | $62,460 |
| Madison | 76 mi | 130 | $63,240 |
| Chicago | 83 mi | 1,510 | $61,310 |
| Grand Rapids | 113 mi | 440 | $60,820 |
| Indianapolis | 243 mi | 1,080 | $60,930 |
| Detroit | 252 mi | 1,160 | $55,560 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Milwaukee crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Milwaukee in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Vantage Data Centers 'Lighthouse' campus (Port Washington, WI - ~30 min north of Milwaukee, not the Racine corridor; Meta's only WI data center is in Beaver Dam, ~60 mi away, also not the Racine corridor)$15BThrough 2028
A hyperscale campus in the broader Milwaukee metro (geographically north, not part of the Racine corridor with Foxconn and Microsoft) compounding regional demand for mission-critical mechanical and electrical talent.
- Foxconn Mount Pleasant expansion$569M (part of $1.2B total committed through 2029)Through 2029
Adds to Foxconn's Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park, creating 1,374 jobs over four years. Includes a Smart Manufacturing Center and a High-Performance Computing Data Center, with Mortenson selected as construction manager.
- Microsoft Racine County data center$3.3B Phase 1 (operational since April 2026); a $4B second phase and a proposed $13.3B expansion would bring total commitment toward $20B+Phase 1 complete; later phases proposed/announced, not yet built
One of the largest data-center investments in the Midwest, just south of Milwaukee. Massive mechanical and electrical scope for a facility of this scale.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Milwaukee market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Milwaukee.
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 Milwaukee.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Milwaukee?
BLS puts the Milwaukee median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $62,460 a year, 4% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 28th of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $48,920 and $81,010, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Wisconsin metro we cover pays more for this work (Madison: $63,240).
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Milwaukee?
Yes. Milwaukee has 41% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 270 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. With 20% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Milwaukee?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Milwaukee, a $119,170 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) at $77,800, 35% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $62,460. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (23% above). Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator trails national pay the most (5% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Milwaukee?
BLS counted 30 security systems integrators in Milwaukee in 2023. Up from 25 in 2018, a 20% increase against 18% growth nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers.
Which nearby metros compete with Milwaukee for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Madison (76 miles, about 130, $63,240 median), Chicago (83 miles, about 1,510, $61,310 median) and Grand Rapids (113 miles, about 440, $60,820 median). Chicago 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 Milwaukee, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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