Physical Security recruiters serving Pittsburgh.
About 600 security and fire alarm systems installers work in the Pittsburgh metro, at a $59,440 median. BLS counts 47 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 Pittsburgh.
BLS counts about 6,480 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Pittsburgh metro, the largest group being electricians (about 5,210). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 0.96). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Pittsburgh: 600 employed · $59,440 median, 69th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Pittsburgh: 5,210 employed · $69,340 median, 42nd-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Pittsburgh: 1,420 employed · $103,420 median, 82nd-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Pittsburgh: 2,000 employed · $77,980 median, 58th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Pittsburgh: 670 employed · $72,160 median, 66th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Pittsburgh: 6,000 employed · $83,030 median, 32nd-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Pittsburgh.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Pittsburgh earn a median $59,440, level with the $60,070 national figure, and 69th of 110 metros. Pay runs $37,660 at the tenth percentile to $97,980 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $72,160 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Pittsburgh 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) | $59,440 | $37,660–$97,980 | $60,070 | −1% | 600 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $69,340 | $45,780–$106,840 | $63,190 | +10% | 5,210 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $103,420 | $77,640–$174,200 | $114,990 | −10% | 1,420 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $77,980 | $48,030–$127,680 | $78,740 | −1% | 2,000 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $72,160 | $46,940–$99,260 | $78,190 | −8% | 670 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $83,030 | $59,570–$129,930 | $79,920 | +4% | 6,000 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh's physical security market has changed since 2018.
Pittsburgh lost security systems integrators between 2018 and 2023, from 48 business locations to 47 (down 2%), behind the 18% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 14%, to about 1,276 people. Average annual pay there went from $64,062 to $77,241 (+21%), slower than the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 48 | 47 | −2% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 1,477 | 1,276 | −14% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $64,062 | $77,241 | +21% |
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
Pittsburgh sits at about the national rate for physical security — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 Pittsburgh's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Pittsburgh ranks 33rd for headcount, 65th for median pay and 60th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 1,290 | $61,870 | 0.80 | 190 |
| Pittsburgh | 600 | $59,440 | 0.96 | 47 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 300 | $61,280 | 1.45 | 26 |
| Scranton | 110 | $56,790 | 0.76 | 8 |
| Lancaster | 90 | $58,290 | 0.62 | 9 |
| Harrisburg | 60 | $59,990 | 0.33 | 13 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Pittsburgh, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Pittsburgh metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania does not license alarm or security system installers, and it does not license electricians either. The Department of Labor and Industry states that the Commonwealth has no licensure or certification requirement for most construction contractors or their employees, and directs contractors to their municipality. The state-level credentials people confuse this with, Act 235 lethal weapons certification and private detective licensing through the county Court of Common Pleas, apply to armed and investigative guard work rather than to installation technicians. Hire against the municipal trade license, for example an electrical contractor license from Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections, and note that Attorney General home improvement contractor registration applies only to residential work. The same state rules apply in Philadelphia, Allentown-Bethlehem, Harrisburg, Lancaster and Scranton, so candidates licensed there can work in Pittsburgh without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: No state license; regulated locally, with Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections issuing trade licenses including the electrical contractor license. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Pittsburgh talent.
The closest metro we cover is Akron, about 90 miles away, with roughly 220 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.4 times Pittsburgh's 600). Columbus pays the most nearby, a $63,060 median, 6% above Pittsburgh. That is the number any Pittsburgh offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Pittsburgh 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | – | 600 | $59,440 |
| Akron | 91 mi | 220 | $61,280 |
| Cleveland | 115 mi | 580 | $62,660 |
| Columbus | 162 mi | 490 | $63,060 |
| Harrisburg | 164 mi | 60 | $59,990 |
| Buffalo | 179 mi | 240 | $60,920 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Pittsburgh crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Pittsburgh in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Homer City Redevelopment gas-powered data center campus (Indiana County, ~50 mi from Pittsburgh -- outside the core Pittsburgh MSA but commonly described regionally as "near Pittsburgh")$10B initial investmentTurbine deliveries begin 2026; phased build-out
A 3,200+ acre campus on the site of the former Homer City Generating Station, powered by seven GE Vernova 7HA.02 hydrogen-enabled gas turbines. Billed as the largest gas-powered data center campus in the country. Power generation plus data center construction in one program - the most demanding electrical and mechanical scope in the region.
- Pittsburgh International Airport terminal programMulti-hundred-millionNew terminal delivered; landside and phased work continuing
The new landside terminal is complete, but concourse, airfield, and support facility work continues. Live-airport experience and night-shift capability remain at a premium.
- UPMC capital programMulti-billion, phasedOngoing through 2029
Western Pennsylvania's largest health system and largest private employer, running specialty hospital construction across the region. ICRA-trained mechanical crews and med-gas plumbers are the persistently scarce roles.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Pittsburgh market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Pittsburgh.
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 Pittsburgh.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Pittsburgh?
BLS puts the Pittsburgh median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $59,440 a year, about the same as the $60,070 national median. That ranks 69th of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. The range is unusually wide: $37,660 at the bottom tenth against $97,980 at the top tenth, a 2.6x gap. Senior people here are priced far above the median. Within Pennsylvania, Philadelphia pays more, at $61,870.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Pittsburgh?
It is about average. Security and fire alarm systems installers are as common in Pittsburgh as they are nationally (location quotient 0.96), with about 600 in the metro. The 47 security systems integrators here average about 27 employees per location.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Pittsburgh?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Pittsburgh, a $103,420 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $72,160, 30% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $59,440. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (10% above). Security Systems Project Manager trails national pay the most (10% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Pittsburgh?
BLS counted 47 security systems integrators in Pittsburgh in 2023, employing about 1,276 people between them. Down from 48 in 2018, a 2% decline against 18% growth nationally. That averages 27 people per location. They pay an average of $77,241, 4% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Pittsburgh for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Akron (91 miles, about 220, $61,280 median), Cleveland (115 miles, about 580, $62,660 median) and Columbus (162 miles, about 490, $63,060 median). Cleveland pays 5% more, which is where Pittsburgh employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
47 security systems integrators in Pittsburgh are drawing on the same 600 security and fire alarm systems installers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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