Physical Security recruiters serving Riverside.
About 980 security and fire alarm systems installers work in the Riverside metro, at a $64,550 median. BLS counts 106 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 Riverside.
BLS counts about 9,530 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Riverside metro, the largest group being electricians (about 7,880). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 1.03). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Riverside: 980 employed · $64,550 median, 14th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Riverside: 7,880 employed · $72,790 median, 35th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Riverside: 3,450 employed · $126,040 median, 24th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Riverside: 3,160 employed · $76,900 median, 67th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Riverside: 670 employed · $79,370 median, 35th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Riverside: 8,420 employed · $82,710 median, 33rd-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Riverside.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Riverside earn a median $64,550, 7% over the $60,070 national figure, and 14th of 110 metros. Pay runs $39,730 at the tenth percentile to $90,760 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $79,370 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Riverside 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) | $64,550 | $39,730–$90,760 | $60,070 | +7% | 980 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $72,790 | $45,360–$139,430 | $63,190 | +15% | 7,880 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $126,040 | $80,600–$187,200 | $114,990 | +10% | 3,450 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $76,900 | $49,750–$128,940 | $78,740 | −2% | 3,160 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $79,370 | $61,000–$130,850 | $78,190 | +2% | 670 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $82,710 | $54,520–$131,890 | $79,920 | +3% | 8,420 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Riverside 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 Riverside's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Riverside rose from 90 in 2018 to 106 in 2023, up 18%, close to the 18% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 13%, to about 1,431 people. Average annual pay there went from $56,185 to $77,927 (+39%), faster than the 26% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 90 | 106 | +18% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 1,262 | 1,431 | +13% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $56,185 | $77,927 | +39% |
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
Riverside 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 Riverside's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Riverside ranks 21st for headcount, 13th for median pay and 54th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 2,960 | $71,570 | 0.85 | 360 |
| San Francisco | 1,030 | $79,350 | 0.78 | 123 |
| Riverside | 980 | $64,550 | 1.03 | 106 |
| Sacramento | 570 | $70,830 | 0.94 | 64 |
| San Diego | 540 | $70,380 | 0.63 | 75 |
| San Jose | 320 | $81,980 | 0.50 | 49 |
| Fresno | 190 | $60,950 | 0.73 | 23 |
| Modesto | 140 | $62,230 | 1.27 | 11 |
| Stockton | 110 | $63,670 | 0.71 | 10 |
| Bakersfield | 100 | $57,620 | 0.54 | 18 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Riverside, the pool is about the national norm for its size, and local employers have trimmed headcount. That usually means experienced people are available but cautious, so the stability of the job matters as much as the rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Riverside metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in California.
Alarm companies must hold an Alarm Company Operator license, and alarm company employees must register with the bureau. Employee applicants go through a criminal history review and Live Scan fingerprinting. The same state rules apply in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in Riverside without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (California Department of Consumer Affairs). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Riverside talent.
The closest metro we cover is Los Angeles, about 50 miles away, with roughly 2,960 security and fire alarm systems installers (3.0 times Riverside's 980). Los Angeles pays the most nearby, a $71,570 median, 11% above Riverside. That is the number any Riverside offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Los Angeles has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside | – | 980 | $64,550 |
| Los Angeles | 49 mi | 2,960 | $71,570 |
| San Diego | 87 mi | 540 | $70,380 |
| Bakersfield | 135 mi | 100 | $57,620 |
| Las Vegas | 200 mi | 970 | $60,920 |
| Fresno | 235 mi | 190 | $60,950 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Riverside crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Riverside in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Ontario International Airport expansion ("ONT BOLD")Cost not yet finalized~10-year program (targeting mid-2030s)
Fastest-growing US airport by cargo. New terminal, cargo, and ground-support facilities announced May 2026; the airport's own materials say cost estimates are still being developed during design. Airport-grade MEP plus air-cargo cold-chain and fueling infrastructure.
- Loma Linda University Medical Center rehab hospital$140MTargeting 2028
80-bed rehabilitation hospital - OSHPD/HCAI-regulated hospital construction. High-spec healthcare MEP, seismic requirements, medical gas. Specialty institutional trades.
- UC Riverside Health expansion (21-acre outpatient campus)Cost not yet disclosedOutpatient center targeting 2029
Institutional and research construction - officials have not confirmed final cost or full timeline. Long-duration commercial pipeline with specialty lab/medical MEP.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Riverside market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Riverside.
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 Riverside.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Riverside?
BLS puts the Riverside median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $64,550 a year, 7% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 14th of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $39,730 at the 10th percentile against $90,760 at the 90th - a 2.3x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. Within California, San Jose pays more, at $81,980.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Riverside?
It is about average. Security and fire alarm systems installers are as common in Riverside as they are nationally (location quotient 1.03), with about 980 in the metro. The 106 security systems integrators here average about 14 employees per location. With 18% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Riverside?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Riverside, a $126,040 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $79,370, 37% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $64,550. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (15% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in Riverside?
BLS counted 106 security systems integrators in Riverside in 2023, employing about 1,431 people between them. Up from 90 in 2018, an 18% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 14 people per location. They pay about the national average of $80,288.
Which nearby metros compete with Riverside for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Los Angeles (49 miles, about 2,960, $71,570 median), San Diego (87 miles, about 540, $70,380 median) and Bakersfield (135 miles, about 100, $57,620 median). Los Angeles has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Los Angeles pays 11% more, which is where Riverside employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
106 security systems integrators in Riverside are drawing on the same 980 security and fire alarm systems installers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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