Physical Security recruiters serving Modesto.
Modesto has 27% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 140 in the metro. BLS counts 11 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 Modesto.
BLS counts about 910 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Modesto metro, the largest group being electricians (about 770). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.27). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Modesto: 140 employed · $62,230 median, 30th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Modesto: 770 employed · $76,710 median, 23rd-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Modesto: 380 employed · $125,800 median, 25th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Modesto: 290 employed · $81,330 median, 27th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Modesto: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Modesto: 780 employed · $91,140 median, 23rd-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Modesto.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Modesto earn a median $62,230, 4% over the $60,070 national figure, and 30th of 110 metros. Pay runs $45,240 at the tenth percentile to $77,170 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $76,710 against $63,190 nationally. BLS withholds Modesto pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Modesto 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) | $62,230 | $45,240–$77,170 | $60,070 | +4% | 140 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $76,710 | $48,220–$137,600 | $63,190 | +21% | 770 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $125,800 | $82,760–$197,620 | $114,990 | +9% | 380 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $81,330 | $51,380–$139,990 | $78,740 | +3% | 290 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | – | – | $78,190 | – | – |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $91,140 | $60,000–$137,610 | $79,920 | +14% | 780 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Modesto 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 Modesto's physical security market has changed since 2018.
Modesto had 11 security systems integrators in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. Headcount at those firms went down 10%, to about 396 people. Average annual pay there went from $52,742 to $70,890 (+34%), faster than the 26% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 11 | 11 | +0% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 441 | 396 | −10% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $52,742 | $70,890 | +34% |
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
Modesto runs 27% more physical security workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching 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 Modesto's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Modesto ranks 83rd for headcount, 28th for median pay and 36th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| 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 Modesto, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Modesto 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 Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield and Stockton, so candidates licensed there can work in Modesto 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 Modesto talent.
The closest metro we cover is Stockton, about 25 miles away, with roughly 110 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.8 times Modesto's 140). San Jose pays the most nearby, an $81,980 median, 32% above Modesto. That is the number any Modesto offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. San Francisco has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto | – | 140 | $62,230 |
| Stockton | 27 mi | 110 | $63,670 |
| San Jose | 53 mi | 320 | $81,980 |
| Sacramento | 71 mi | 570 | $70,830 |
| San Francisco | 78 mi | 1,030 | $79,350 |
| Fresno | 91 mi | 190 | $60,950 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Modesto crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Modesto in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Sutter Health Advanced Cancer Center and Care Complex$380MGroundbreak January 2026, completion by 2029
A four-story, 165,000 sq ft facility on the Memorial Medical Center campus - cancer treatment on floors 1-2, a 4-OR ambulatory surgery center on floor 3, and 50+ outpatient exam rooms on floor 4.
- North County Corridor Phase 1UndisclosedUnder construction
A new four-lane, access-controlled expressway with a new interchange at Roselle Avenue and grade-separated structures over the BNSF rail line.
- Seventh Street Village apartments$56M ($33M in state funding)Completing late 2027
A five-story, 79-unit downtown Modesto apartment building for low-income residents.
These are the 3 projects we track in Modesto. The Modesto market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Modesto.
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 Modesto.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Modesto?
BLS puts the Modesto median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $62,230 a year, 4% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 30th of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $45,240 and $77,170, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within California, San Jose pays more, at $81,980.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Modesto?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 27% more of the Modesto workforce than they do nationally, about 140 people. The 11 security systems integrators here average about 36 employees per location, which means a handful of large operators set the pace on pay.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Modesto?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Modesto, a $125,800 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) at $76,710, 39% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $62,230. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (21% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in Modesto?
BLS counted 11 security systems integrators in Modesto in 2023, employing about 396 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (11). That averages 36 people per location, so a few large operators dominate hiring. They pay an average of $70,890, 12% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Modesto for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Stockton (27 miles, about 110, $63,670 median), San Jose (53 miles, about 320, $81,980 median) and Sacramento (71 miles, about 570, $70,830 median). San Jose has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. San Jose pays 32% more, which is where Modesto employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Modesto has one of the deeper pools of security and fire alarm systems installers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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