Physical Security recruiters serving Raleigh.
Raleigh has 45% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 600 in the metro. BLS counts 54 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 Raleigh.
BLS counts about 4,840 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Raleigh metro, the largest group being electricians (about 3,740). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.45). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Raleigh: 600 employed · $59,580 median, 67th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Raleigh: 3,740 employed · $56,800 median, 98th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Raleigh: 3,020 employed · $119,700 median, 38th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Raleigh: 1,420 employed · $79,230 median, 43rd-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Raleigh: 500 employed · $72,640 median, 63rd-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Raleigh: 6,080 employed · $77,690 median, 64th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Raleigh.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Raleigh earn a median $59,580, level with the $60,070 national figure, and 67th of 110 metros. Pay runs $38,170 at the tenth percentile to $76,050 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $72,640 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Raleigh 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) | $59,580 | $38,170–$76,050 | $60,070 | −1% | 600 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $56,800 | $45,700–$73,760 | $63,190 | −10% | 3,740 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $119,700 | $78,010–$182,990 | $114,990 | +4% | 3,020 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $79,230 | $38,350–$131,400 | $78,740 | +1% | 1,420 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $72,640 | $52,590–$106,120 | $78,190 | −7% | 500 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $77,690 | $55,570–$120,240 | $79,920 | −3% | 6,080 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Raleigh 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 Raleigh's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Raleigh rose from 50 in 2018 to 54 in 2023, up 8%, behind the 18% growth nationally. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 719. Average annual pay there went from $51,868 to $73,141 (+41%), faster than the 26% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 50 | 54 | +8% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 713 | 719 | +1% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $51,868 | $73,141 | +41% |
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
Raleigh runs 45% 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 Raleigh's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Raleigh ranks 33rd for headcount, 63rd for median pay and 19th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 890 | $61,590 | 1.18 | 102 |
| Raleigh | 600 | $59,580 | 1.45 | 54 |
| Greensboro | 210 | $51,500 | 1.04 | 20 |
| Winston-Salem | 130 | $49,180 | 0.84 | 13 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 80 | $47,050 | 0.43 | 17 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Raleigh, 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, Raleigh metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in North Carolina.
Businesses that sell, install, service or monitor security systems, including security cameras, must be licensed through a qualifying individual, and their employees must register. Applicants submit FBI fingerprint cards for criminal record checks. The same state rules apply in Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Durham-Chapel Hill, so candidates licensed there can work in Raleigh without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Alarm Systems Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Raleigh talent.
The closest metro we cover is Durham-Chapel Hill, about 20 miles away, with roughly 80 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.1 times Raleigh's 600). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $47,050 in Durham-Chapel Hill to $61,590 in Charlotte, against $59,580 here.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | – | 600 | $59,580 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 21 mi | 80 | $47,050 |
| Greensboro | 68 mi | 210 | $51,500 |
| Winston-Salem | 93 mi | 130 | $49,180 |
| Charlotte | 130 mi | 890 | $61,590 |
| Richmond | 139 mi | 500 | $59,560 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Raleigh crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Raleigh in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Johnson & Johnson Wilson biologics campus$2BMulti-year
Biologics manufacturing campus adding to the region's life-sciences construction pipeline - cleanroom and process-utility work drawing on the same specialized labor pool as Novo Nordisk and Fujifilm.
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport capital program$2.5BRunway opening 2029; terminal work through 2032
New 10,639-ft runway and major terminal expansions - heavy civil, structural, and airport-specific MEP work running for most of the decade.
- Novo Nordisk Clayton expansion$4.1BMulti-year buildout
Adds 1.4M sq ft of advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing and roughly 1,000 permanent jobs. One of the largest single pharma capital projects in the Southeast, requiring cleanroom-grade mechanical, electrical, and process piping at scale.
Showing 3 of 5 projects tracked in this metro. The Raleigh market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Raleigh.
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 Raleigh.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Raleigh?
BLS puts the Raleigh median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $59,580 a year, about the same as the $60,070 national median. That ranks 67th of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $38,170 and $76,050, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within North Carolina, Charlotte pays more, at $61,590.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Raleigh?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 45% more of the Raleigh workforce than they do nationally, about 600 people. The 54 security systems integrators here average about 13 employees per location.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Raleigh?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Raleigh, a $119,700 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $72,640, 39% below it. Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the lowest-paid field role at $56,800. Relative to national pay, Security Systems Project Manager is the strongest-paying role here (4% above). Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) trails national pay the most (10% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Raleigh?
BLS counted 54 security systems integrators in Raleigh in 2023, employing about 719 people between them. Up from 50 in 2018, an 8% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 13 people per location. They pay an average of $73,141, 9% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Raleigh for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Durham-Chapel Hill (21 miles, about 80, $47,050 median), Greensboro (68 miles, about 210, $51,500 median) and Winston-Salem (93 miles, about 130, $49,180 median). Raleigh out-pays Durham-Chapel Hill, Greensboro and Winston-Salem, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Raleigh 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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