Physical Security recruiters serving Providence.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Providence earn a $75,350 median, 25% above the national figure, and about 360 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 83 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 Providence.
BLS counts about 4,370 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Providence metro, the largest group being electricians (about 3,560). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.90). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Providence: 360 employed · $75,350 median, 7th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Providence: 3,560 employed · $73,980 median, 32nd-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Providence: 900 employed · $122,830 median, 28th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Providence: 960 employed · $87,720 median, 10th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Providence: 450 employed · $82,240 median, 25th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Providence: 3,350 employed · $97,560 median, 12th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Providence.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Providence earn a median $75,350, 25% over the $60,070 national figure, and 7th of 110 metros. Pay runs $44,720 at the tenth percentile to $91,970 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $82,240 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Providence 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) | $75,350 | $44,720–$91,970 | $60,070 | +25% | 360 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $73,980 | $42,760–$102,840 | $63,190 | +17% | 3,560 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $122,830 | $76,680–$190,480 | $114,990 | +7% | 900 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $87,720 | $58,330–$130,750 | $78,740 | +11% | 960 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $82,240 | $48,860–$113,760 | $78,190 | +5% | 450 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $97,560 | $61,410–$129,860 | $79,920 | +22% | 3,350 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Providence 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 Providence's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Providence rose from 65 in 2018 to 83 in 2023, up 28%, ahead of the 18% national rise. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Providence, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 65 | 83 | +28% |
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
Providence runs 10% fewer physical security workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Providence's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Providence ranks 50th for headcount, 7th for median pay and 63rd for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers. Pay here is among the highest we see, so offers need to start near the top of the range.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Providence, 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, Providence metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Rhode Island.
Alarm businesses that sell, lease, install, maintain or monitor alarm systems need a state license, and so do the alarm agents they employ. Licensing is handled by the department's Professional Regulation unit. The Providence metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Providence talent.
The closest metro we cover is Worcester, about 35 miles away. Worcester pays the most nearby, an $80,480 median, 7% above Providence. That is the number any Providence offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Boston has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | – | 360 | $75,350 |
| Worcester | 36 mi | – | $80,480 |
| Boston | 41 mi | 1,330 | $78,560 |
| Hartford | 66 mi | 220 | $73,740 |
| Bridgeport | 102 mi | – | – |
| Albany | 133 mi | 290 | $62,420 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Providence crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Providence in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Rhode Island State Health LaboratoryState-funded, multi-yearRecently completed / ramping to full occupancy
A 9-story downtown Providence facility combining public-health lab infrastructure with a high-containment BSL-3 lab and flexible space for future biotech tenants. Cleanroom-grade mechanical and electrical work at a scale the region rarely builds.
- Ocean State Labs life-science incubator$13M investment over 10 yearsOpened May 2026
Rhode Island's first life-science startup incubator, a 30,000 sq ft Brown University-backed facility at 150 Richmond St. Signals a growing pipeline of smaller lab build-outs feeding off the state's larger cleanroom investment.
- Rhode Island Hospital active constructionOngoing2026
Active construction at the Plain Street lot required patient/visitor parking relocation starting May 2026 - the state's largest hospital continuing to build even as the life-sciences sector expands around it.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Providence market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Providence.
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 Providence.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Providence?
BLS puts the Providence median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $75,350 a year, 25% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 7th of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $44,720 at the 10th percentile against $91,970 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Providence?
It is about average. Security and fire alarm systems installers are as common in Providence as they are nationally (location quotient 0.90), with about 360 in the metro. With 28% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Providence?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Providence, a $122,830 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $82,240, 33% below it. Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the lowest-paid field role at $73,980. Relative to national pay, Security Systems Installer / Technician is the strongest-paying role here (25% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in Providence?
BLS counted 83 security systems integrators in Providence in 2023. Up from 65 in 2018, a 28% 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 Providence for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Worcester (36 miles, $80,480 median), Boston (41 miles, about 1,330, $78,560 median) and Hartford (66 miles, about 220, $73,740 median). Boston has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Worcester pays 7% more, which is where Providence employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
83 security systems integrators in Providence are drawing on the same 360 security and fire alarm systems installers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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