Physical Security recruiters serving Phoenix.
Phoenix has 31% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 1,730 in the metro. BLS counts 188 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 Phoenix.
BLS counts about 20,450 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Phoenix metro, the largest group being electricians (about 17,240). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.31). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Phoenix: 1,730 employed · $60,750 median, 52nd-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Phoenix: 17,240 employed · $61,210 median, 68th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Phoenix: 8,170 employed · $118,350 median, 43rd-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Phoenix: 4,380 employed · $77,590 median, 60th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Phoenix: 1,480 employed · $79,710 median, 33rd-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Phoenix: 16,770 employed · $79,840 median, 51st-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Phoenix.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Phoenix earn a median $60,750, level with the $60,070 national figure, and 52nd of 110 metros. Pay runs $38,630 at the tenth percentile to $82,050 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $79,710 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Phoenix 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) | $60,750 | $38,630–$82,050 | $60,070 | +1% | 1,730 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $61,210 | $46,920–$86,800 | $63,190 | −3% | 17,240 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $118,350 | $79,490–$169,900 | $114,990 | +3% | 8,170 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $77,590 | $37,440–$128,970 | $78,740 | −1% | 4,380 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $79,710 | $54,480–$103,170 | $78,190 | +2% | 1,480 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $79,840 | $59,350–$103,620 | $79,920 | 0% | 16,770 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Phoenix 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 Phoenix's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Phoenix rose from 146 in 2018 to 188 in 2023, up 29%, ahead of the 18% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 146 | 188 | +29% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | – | 2,461 | – |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | – | $76,139 | – |
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
Phoenix runs 31% 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 Phoenix's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Phoenix ranks 6th for headcount, 48th for median pay and 30th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 1,730 | $60,750 | 1.31 | 188 |
| Tucson | 170 | $47,690 | 0.76 | 20 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Phoenix, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Phoenix metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Arizona.
Alarm businesses and each of their controlling persons must be certified by the board before operating, and individual alarm agents need their own certification. The same state rules apply in Tucson, so candidates licensed there can work in Phoenix without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Arizona State Board of Technical Registration. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Phoenix talent.
The closest metro we cover is Tucson, about 110 miles away, with roughly 170 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.1 times Phoenix's 1,730). San Diego pays the most nearby, a $70,380 median, 16% above Phoenix. That is the number any Phoenix offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Phoenix is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
What else is competing for Phoenix crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Phoenix in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- TSMC Arizona - Fabs 21, 22, advanced packaging (Phoenix North)$65B+ over multi-phase buildPhase 1 operating; Phase 2-4 through 2030
Largest single private investment in Arizona history. Semiconductor-grade mechanical, cleanroom HVAC, process gas, ultra-pure water. Specialty trades commanding 20-30% premiums.
- Intel Ocotillo Fab 52/62 expansion (Chandler)$20B+Construction through 2028
Cleanroom mechanical, semiconductor process trades. Direct competition with TSMC for the same specialty labor pool.
- Sky Harbor International Airport expansion (Terminal 4 + Terminal 3)$2.5B+Through 2030
Airport-grade MEP, large-scale AHU installs, baggage handling mechanical, ground transportation systems.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Phoenix market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Phoenix.
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 Phoenix.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Phoenix?
BLS puts the Phoenix median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $60,750 a year, about the same as the $60,070 national median. That ranks 52nd of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Experience carries a clear premium, $38,630 at the 10th percentile against $82,050 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. No other Arizona metro we cover pays more for this work (Tucson: $47,690).
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Phoenix?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 31% more of the Phoenix workforce than they do nationally, about 1,730 people. The 188 security systems integrators here average about 13 employees per location. With 29% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Phoenix?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Phoenix, a $118,350 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $79,710, 33% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $60,750. Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) trails national pay the most (3% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Phoenix?
BLS counted 188 security systems integrators in Phoenix in 2023, employing about 2,461 people between them. Up from 146 in 2018, a 29% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 13 people per location. They pay an average of $76,139, 5% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Phoenix for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Tucson (108 miles, about 170, $47,690 median), Las Vegas (256 miles, about 970, $60,920 median) and San Diego (299 miles, about 540, $70,380 median). San Diego pays 16% more, which is where Phoenix employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Phoenix 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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