Physical Security recruiters serving Reno.
About 150 security and fire alarm systems installers work in the Reno metro, at a $62,760 median. BLS counts 13 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 Reno.
BLS counts about 1,820 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Reno metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,490). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 1.00). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Reno: 150 employed · $62,760 median, 24th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Reno: 1,490 employed · $72,800 median, 34th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Reno: 830 employed · $113,640 median, 47th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Reno: 520 employed · $82,270 median, 22nd-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Reno: 180 employed · $73,220 median, 62nd-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Reno: 2,020 employed · $80,610 median, 45th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Reno.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Reno earn a median $62,760, 4% over the $60,070 national figure, and 24th of 110 metros. Pay runs $46,920 at the tenth percentile to $81,060 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $73,220 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Reno 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) | $62,760 | $46,920–$81,060 | $60,070 | +4% | 150 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $72,800 | $47,420–$102,250 | $63,190 | +15% | 1,490 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $113,640 | $81,670–$185,800 | $114,990 | −1% | 830 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $82,270 | $50,920–$132,140 | $78,740 | +4% | 520 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $73,220 | $35,030–$105,950 | $78,190 | −6% | 180 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $80,610 | $56,990–$124,600 | $79,920 | +1% | 2,020 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Reno 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 Reno's physical security market has changed since 2018.
Reno had 13 security systems integrators in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018. Headcount at those firms went down 21%, to about 117 people. Average annual pay there went from $63,031 to $126,881 (+101%), faster than the 26% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 13 | 13 | +0% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 149 | 117 | −21% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $63,031 | $126,881 | +101% |
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
Reno 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 Reno's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Reno ranks 80th for headcount, 22nd for median pay and 58th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas | 970 | $60,920 | 1.54 | 77 |
| Reno | 150 | $62,760 | 1.00 | 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 Reno, 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, Reno metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Nevada.
Nevada handles this work through contractor licensing rather than a standalone alarm license. Low voltage work falls under subclassification C-2d, which covers systems using fiber optics or not exceeding ninety-one volts including closed circuit video systems, and fire detection alarm work falls under C-2c, both sitting beneath the C-2 electrical classification in NAC Chapter 624. The license is held by the contracting company and its qualified individual rather than by every technician, and the Board's application process requires fingerprint cards, so this is a background-checked credential at company and qualifier level. Verify the employer holds an active C-2d, plus C-2c if fire alarm is in scope. The same state rules apply in Las Vegas, so candidates licensed there can work in Reno without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Nevada State Contractors Board (NRS Chapter 624 and NAC Chapter 624). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Reno talent.
The closest metro we cover is Sacramento, about 110 miles away, with roughly 570 security and fire alarm systems installers (3.8 times Reno's 150). San Jose pays the most nearby, an $81,980 median, 31% above Reno. That is the number any Reno offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. San Francisco has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reno | – | 150 | $62,760 |
| Sacramento | 111 mi | 570 | $70,830 |
| Stockton | 135 mi | 110 | $63,670 |
| Modesto | 145 mi | 140 | $62,230 |
| San Francisco | 186 mi | 1,030 | $79,350 |
| San Jose | 189 mi | 320 | $81,980 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Reno crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Reno in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Fleet Data Centers (Tahoe Reno Industrial Center)$10B combined construction costsPeak construction employing 1,000-1,500 trades workers
Two campuses - the 200MW South Valley campus and the Peru Ridge project - built by a Tract Capital Management subsidiary.
- Vantage Data Centers Northern Nevada campusUndisclosed (224MW at full build-out)First of four buildings opening Q2 2026
Four planned four-story data center buildings.
- Tesla Gigafactory Nevada expansion$3.6B ($330.25M state abatement approved)9,275 construction jobs estimated through 2027
A 100 GWh 4680 battery cell factory and Tesla's first high-volume Semi factory, adding 4 million sq ft to Tesla's existing 5.4 million sq ft Nevada campus - Tesla has invested $6.2B in Nevada total since 2014.
These are the 3 projects we track in Reno. The Reno market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Reno.
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 Reno.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Reno?
BLS puts the Reno median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $62,760 a year, 4% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 24th of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $46,920 and $81,060, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Nevada metro we cover pays more for this work (Las Vegas: $60,920).
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Reno?
It is about average. Security and fire alarm systems installers are as common in Reno as they are nationally (location quotient 1.00), with about 150 in the metro. The 13 security systems integrators here average about 9.0 employees per location.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Reno?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Reno, a $113,640 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $73,220, 36% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $62,760. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (15% above). Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator trails national pay the most (6% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Reno?
BLS counted 13 security systems integrators in Reno in 2023, employing about 117 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (13). That averages 9.0 people per location. They pay an average of $126,881, 58% above the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Reno for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Sacramento (111 miles, about 570, $70,830 median), Stockton (135 miles, about 110, $63,670 median) and Modesto (145 miles, about 140, $62,230 median). Sacramento has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Sacramento pays 13% more, which is where Reno employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
13 security systems integrators in Reno are drawing on the same 150 security and fire alarm systems installers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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