Physical Security recruiters serving San Antonio.
San Antonio has 31% more security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, about 820 in the metro. BLS counts 84 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 San Antonio.
BLS counts about 8,420 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the San Antonio metro, the largest group being electricians (about 6,660). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.31). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
San Antonio: 820 employed · $56,600 median, 86th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
San Antonio: 6,660 employed · $57,010 median, 97th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
San Antonio: 4,680 employed · $98,450 median, 104th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
San Antonio: 1,690 employed · $74,830 median, 80th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
San Antonio: 940 employed · $68,270 median, 73rd-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
San Antonio: 6,170 employed · $73,520 median, 97th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in San Antonio.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in San Antonio earn a median $56,600, 6% under the $60,070 national figure, and 86th of 110 metros. Pay runs $37,670 at the tenth percentile to $74,150 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $68,270 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | San Antonio 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) | $56,600 | $37,670–$74,150 | $60,070 | −6% | 820 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $57,010 | $37,460–$75,670 | $63,190 | −10% | 6,660 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $98,450 | $61,370–$157,450 | $114,990 | −14% | 4,680 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $74,830 | $45,340–$129,840 | $78,740 | −5% | 1,690 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $68,270 | $47,480–$99,120 | $78,190 | −13% | 940 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $73,520 | $47,850–$104,110 | $79,920 | −8% | 6,170 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Antonio 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 San Antonio's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in San Antonio rose from 75 in 2018 to 84 in 2023, up 12%, behind the 18% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 18%, to about 1,469 people. Average annual pay there went from $56,407 to $69,293 (+23%), slower than the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 75 | 84 | +12% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 1,250 | 1,469 | +18% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $56,407 | $69,293 | +23% |
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
San Antonio runs 31% 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 San Antonio's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, San Antonio ranks 25th for headcount, 81st for median pay and 30th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 3,550 | $57,930 | 1.58 | 294 |
| Houston | 2,500 | $56,920 | 1.37 | 204 |
| San Antonio | 820 | $56,600 | 1.31 | 84 |
| Austin | 820 | $59,790 | 1.15 | 85 |
| El Paso | 480 | $55,420 | 2.55 | 33 |
| McAllen | 150 | $45,210 | 0.90 | 26 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in San Antonio, 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, San Antonio metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Texas.
Alarm installers and electronic access control device installers need individual licenses and must be affiliated with a company licensed by the department. Applicants go through fingerprint-based background checks. The same state rules apply in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, McAllen and El Paso, so candidates licensed there can work in San Antonio without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a physical security search in San Antonio yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in San Antonio than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Estimator / Project ManagerShe grew her own asphalt repair business from $600K to $2.5 million before taking this seat.
- Estimator / Project ManagerAn 80% win rate on bids from $100,000 to $2 million, brought onto the same bid desk.
Nearby markets competing for San Antonio talent.
The closest metro we cover is Austin, about 75 miles away, with roughly 820 security and fire alarm systems installers (1.0 times San Antonio's 820). Austin pays the most nearby, a $59,790 median, 6% above San Antonio. That is the number any San Antonio offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Dallas-Fort Worth has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | – | 820 | $56,600 |
| Austin | 74 mi | 820 | $59,790 |
| Houston | 190 mi | 2,500 | $56,920 |
| McAllen | 223 mi | 150 | $45,210 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 253 mi | 3,550 | $57,930 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for San Antonio crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into San Antonio in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- UT Health San Antonio / South Texas Medical Center expansions$400M+ across projects2024-2027
Research, hospital, and academic build-out keeps medical-experienced trades and controls techs in steady demand.
- Microsoft data center campuses (West San Antonio)Multi-billion, multi-phaseRolling through 2028+
Hyperscale build-out on the far West Side is the single biggest force in the market. Power-systems electricians, controls technicians, and mechanical PMs are in extreme demand.
- Brooke Army Medical Center / Joint Base San AntonioLargest DoD medical + military construction footprint in the USContinuous
Federal medical and base construction demands cleared, licensed crews. Medical gas plumbers, high-reliability electricians, and healthcare-experienced supers in short supply.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The San Antonio market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in San Antonio.
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 San Antonio.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in San Antonio?
BLS puts the San Antonio median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $56,600 a year, 6% below the $60,070 national median. That ranks 86th of 110 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $37,670 and $74,150, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Texas, Austin pays more, at $59,790.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in San Antonio?
Not by national standards. Security and fire alarm systems installers make up 31% more of the San Antonio workforce than they do nationally, about 820 people. The 84 security systems integrators here average about 17 employees per location. With 12% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in San Antonio?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in San Antonio, a $98,450 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $68,270, 31% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $56,600. Security Systems Project Manager trails national pay the most (14% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in San Antonio?
BLS counted 84 security systems integrators in San Antonio in 2023, employing about 1,469 people between them. Up from 75 in 2018, a 12% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 17 people per location. They pay an average of $69,293, 14% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with San Antonio for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Austin (74 miles, about 820, $59,790 median), Houston (190 miles, about 2,500, $56,920 median) and McAllen (223 miles, about 150, $45,210 median). Houston has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Austin pays 6% more, which is where San Antonio employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
San Antonio 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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