Physical Security recruiters serving Rochester.
Rochester has 46% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 400 in the metro. BLS counts 33 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 Rochester.
BLS counts about 3,330 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Rochester metro, the largest group being electricians (about 2,540). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.46). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Rochester: 400 employed · $60,520 median, 56th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Rochester: 2,540 employed · $77,310 median, 19th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Rochester: 490 employed · $134,940 median, 8th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Rochester: 770 employed · $78,890 median, 47th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Rochester: 390 employed · $77,280 median, 43rd-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Rochester: 2,080 employed · $81,380 median, 40th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Rochester.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Rochester earn a median $60,520, level with the $60,070 national figure, and 56th of 110 metros. Pay runs $40,290 at the tenth percentile to $76,650 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $77,310 against $63,190 nationally.
| Role | Rochester 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) | $60,520 | $40,290–$76,650 | $60,070 | +1% | 400 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $77,310 | $45,410–$107,910 | $63,190 | +22% | 2,540 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $134,940 | $88,050–$216,390 | $114,990 | +17% | 490 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,890 | $50,750–$126,240 | $78,740 | 0% | 770 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $77,280 | $48,070–$98,790 | $78,190 | −1% | 390 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $81,380 | $59,560–$123,430 | $79,920 | +2% | 2,080 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Rochester 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 Rochester's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Rochester rose from 27 in 2018 to 33 in 2023, up 22%, ahead of the 18% national rise. Headcount at those firms went down 36%, to about 822 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $54,116 to $76,390 (+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 | 27 | 33 | +22% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 1,284 | 822 | −36% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $54,116 | $76,390 | +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
Rochester runs 46% 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 Rochester's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Rochester ranks 48th for headcount, 52nd for median pay and 17th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 6,850 | $59,280 | 1.30 | 657 |
| Rochester | 400 | $60,520 | 1.46 | 33 |
| Albany | 290 | $62,420 | 1.15 | 18 |
| Buffalo | 240 | $60,920 | 0.79 | 26 |
| Syracuse | 230 | $61,410 | 1.37 | 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 Rochester, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Rochester metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in New York.
Businesses that install, service or maintain security or fire alarm systems need a state Security or Fire Alarm Installer license. Both the licensee and employees who help with installation or service must submit fingerprints. The same state rules apply in New York, Buffalo, Albany and Syracuse, so candidates licensed there can work in Rochester without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Rochester talent.
The closest metro we cover is Buffalo, about 65 miles away, with roughly 240 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.6 times Rochester's 400). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $56,790 in Scranton to $62,420 in Albany, against $60,520 here. Rochester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester | – | 400 | $60,520 |
| Buffalo | 66 mi | 240 | $60,920 |
| Syracuse | 74 mi | 230 | $61,410 |
| Scranton | 157 mi | 110 | $56,790 |
| Albany | 198 mi | 290 | $62,420 |
| Harrisburg | 203 mi | 60 | $59,990 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Rochester crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Rochester in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- University of Rochester Institute of Optics research complex$200MGroundbreaking 2026
A major research facility anchoring the region's optics/photonics talent pipeline - lab-grade mechanical and electrical construction distinct from manufacturing-floor work.
- QED Technologies expansion$18.7MRibbon-cut August 5, 2026
Added up to 20,000 sq ft to the University Avenue facility for a new R&D center and expanded precision optics fabrication capacity.
- Sydor Optics manufacturing expansion$32M+New 100,000 sq ft facility, up to 36 new jobs
A new photonics manufacturing facility to accommodate continued growth - one of the largest single optics-manufacturing capital projects in the region's history.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Rochester market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Rochester.
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 Rochester.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Rochester?
BLS puts the Rochester median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $60,520 a year, about the same as the $60,070 national median. That ranks 56th of 110 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $40,290 and $76,650, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within New York, Albany pays more, at $62,420.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Rochester?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 46% more of the Rochester workforce than they do nationally, about 400 people. The 33 security systems integrators here average about 25 employees per location. With 22% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Rochester?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Rochester, a $134,940 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) at $77,310, 43% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $60,520. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (22% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in Rochester?
BLS counted 33 security systems integrators in Rochester in 2023, employing about 822 people between them. Up from 27 in 2018, a 22% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 25 people per location. They pay an average of $76,390, 5% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Rochester for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Buffalo (66 miles, about 240, $60,920 median), Syracuse (74 miles, about 230, $61,410 median) and Scranton (157 miles, about 110, $56,790 median). Rochester out-pays Scranton, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Rochester 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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