Physical Security recruiters serving Nashville.
Nashville has 35% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 830 in the metro. BLS counts 91 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 Nashville.
BLS counts about 7,480 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Nashville metro, the largest group being electricians (about 6,220). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.35). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Nashville: 830 employed · $57,860 median, 80th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Nashville: 6,220 employed · $63,340 median, 52nd-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Nashville: 2,460 employed · $122,190 median, 29th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Nashville: 1,570 employed · $81,300 median, 28th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Nashville: 430 employed · $67,380 median, 80th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Nashville: 6,510 employed · $78,830 median, 54th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Nashville.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Nashville earn a median $57,860, 4% under the $60,070 national figure, and 80th of 110 metros. Pay runs $38,370 at the tenth percentile to $83,050 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $67,380 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Nashville 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) | $57,860 | $38,370–$83,050 | $60,070 | −4% | 830 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $63,340 | $45,900–$93,200 | $63,190 | 0% | 6,220 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $122,190 | $73,550–$195,040 | $114,990 | +6% | 2,460 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $81,300 | $47,400–$127,770 | $78,740 | +3% | 1,570 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $67,380 | $39,610–$95,540 | $78,190 | −14% | 430 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $78,830 | $55,250–$115,430 | $79,920 | −1% | 6,510 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Nashville 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 Nashville's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Nashville rose from 60 in 2018 to 91 in 2023, up 52%, ahead of the 18% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 14%, to about 1,179 people. Average annual pay there went from $60,253 to $79,078 (+31%), faster than the 26% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 60 | 91 | +52% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 1,035 | 1,179 | +14% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $60,253 | $79,078 | +31% |
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
Nashville runs 35% 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 Nashville's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Nashville ranks 24th for headcount, 75th for median pay and 28th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 830 | $57,860 | 1.35 | 91 |
| Memphis | 640 | $57,000 | 1.88 | 49 |
| Knoxville | 420 | $58,090 | 1.77 | 39 |
| Chattanooga | 160 | $48,330 | 1.04 | 22 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Nashville, 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, Nashville metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Tennessee.
Alarm contractor companies must be licensed with a qualifying agent, in classifications that include burglar alarm and CCTV. Employees with access to sensitive alarm information must register, and both agents and employees need background checks. The same state rules apply in Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga, so candidates licensed there can work in Nashville without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Alarm Systems Contractors Board (Department of Commerce and Insurance). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Nashville talent.
The closest metro we cover is Huntsville, about 100 miles away, with roughly 150 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.2 times Nashville's 830). Birmingham pays the most nearby, a $63,350 median, 9% above Nashville. That is the number any Nashville offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Nashville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | – | 830 | $57,860 |
| Huntsville | 100 mi | 150 | $61,080 |
| Chattanooga | 113 mi | 160 | $48,330 |
| Louisville | 155 mi | 490 | $61,570 |
| Knoxville | 161 mi | 420 | $58,090 |
| Birmingham | 183 mi | 610 | $63,350 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Nashville crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Nashville in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- BNA "New Horizon" expansion - Central Core Enhancement$3B programCentral Core work through December 2027
Rebuilding the terminal hub connecting baggage claim, ticketing, garages, and security. Phased work inside an operating airport - night shifts, tight sequencing, and a premium on live-facility experience.
- New Nissan Stadium$2.1BCompleting early 2027
An enclosed venue anchoring 550 acres of East Bank redevelopment. Now deep in MEP, systems, and finish phases - the highest-headcount portion of a stadium build. Large-venue superintendents and specialty systems crews are fully committed here.
- East Bank redevelopment550-acre master planPhased through the 2030s
Residential, hospitality, and infrastructure surrounding the stadium, including East Bank Flats housing and new street and utility networks. Provides the mid-market vertical and sitework demand that will absorb crews as the stadium completes.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Nashville market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Nashville.
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 Nashville.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Nashville?
BLS puts the Nashville median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $57,860 a year, 4% below the $60,070 national median. That ranks 80th of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Experience carries a clear premium, $38,370 at the 10th percentile against $83,050 at the 90th - a 2.2x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. No other Tennessee metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Nashville?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 35% more of the Nashville workforce than they do nationally, about 830 people. The 91 security systems integrators here average about 13 employees per location. With 52% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Nashville?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Nashville, a $122,190 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $67,380, 45% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $57,860. Relative to national pay, Security Systems Project Manager is the strongest-paying role here (6% above). Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator trails national pay the most (14% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Nashville?
BLS counted 91 security systems integrators in Nashville in 2023, employing about 1,179 people between them. Up from 60 in 2018, a 52% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 13 people per location. They pay about the national average of $80,288.
Which nearby metros compete with Nashville for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Huntsville (100 miles, about 150, $61,080 median), Chattanooga (113 miles, about 160, $48,330 median) and Louisville (155 miles, about 490, $61,570 median). Huntsville pays 6% more, which is where Nashville employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Nashville 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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