Physical Security recruiters serving San Diego.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in San Diego than in most of the country, 37% fewer per job, so the roughly 540 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 75 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 Diego.
BLS counts about 10,580 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the San Diego metro, the largest group being electricians (about 8,060). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.63). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
San Diego: 540 employed · $70,380 median, 11th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
San Diego: 8,060 employed · $76,160 median, 25th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
San Diego: 3,800 employed · $133,210 median, 9th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
San Diego: 2,740 employed · $87,170 median, 11th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
San Diego: 1,980 employed · $91,620 median, 11th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
San Diego: 7,000 employed · $95,850 median, 15th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in San Diego.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in San Diego earn a median $70,380, 17% over the $60,070 national figure, and 11th of 110 metros. Pay runs $45,900 at the tenth percentile to $94,290 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $91,620 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | San Diego 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) | $70,380 | $45,900–$94,290 | $60,070 | +17% | 540 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $76,160 | $47,890–$126,260 | $63,190 | +21% | 8,060 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $133,210 | $82,290–$208,350 | $114,990 | +16% | 3,800 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $87,170 | $55,610–$151,140 | $78,740 | +11% | 2,740 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $91,620 | $61,090–$138,660 | $78,190 | +17% | 1,980 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $95,850 | $60,230–$147,850 | $79,920 | +20% | 7,000 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Diego 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 Diego's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in San Diego rose from 58 in 2018 to 75 in 2023, up 29%, ahead of the 18% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 60%, to about 1,210 people. Average annual pay there went from $59,332 to $68,884 (+16%), slower than the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 58 | 75 | +29% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 758 | 1,210 | +60% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $59,332 | $68,884 | +16% |
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 Diego runs 37% fewer physical security workers per job than the country as a whole — well below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep 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 Diego's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, San Diego ranks 38th for headcount, 11th for median pay and 86th 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 San Diego, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, San Diego 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, Riverside, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in San Diego 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 San Diego talent.
The closest metro we cover is Riverside, about 85 miles away, with roughly 980 security and fire alarm systems installers (1.8 times San Diego's 540). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $57,620 in Bakersfield to $71,570 in Los Angeles, against $70,380 here. Los Angeles has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | – | 540 | $70,380 |
| Riverside | 87 mi | 980 | $64,550 |
| Los Angeles | 111 mi | 2,960 | $71,570 |
| Bakersfield | 212 mi | 100 | $57,620 |
| Las Vegas | 265 mi | 970 | $60,920 |
| Phoenix | 299 mi | 1,730 | $60,750 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for San Diego crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into San Diego in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- UC San Diego campus + research expansion$2.5B+ programPhased through 2030
Ongoing university build-out - research labs, medical, student housing. High-spec lab/cleanroom MEP and institutional construction pipeline.
- Research Center at Torrey Pines biotech campuses$1B+ rollingOngoing
New life-sciences campus construction and lab conversions. Long-duration demand for cleanroom-experienced MEP and controls specialists.
- San Diego International Airport New Terminal 1$3.8B total programPhase 1A open (Sept 2025); Phase 1B through 2028
Largest public works project in San Diego history. Phase 1A (19 gates, $2.6B) is already open; Phase 1B construction is underway to add 11 more gates by 2028. Airport-grade MEP, central utility plant, apron work. Multi-year demand for airport-experienced senior trades.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The San Diego market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in San Diego.
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 Diego.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in San Diego?
BLS puts the San Diego median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $70,380 a year, 17% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 11th of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $45,900 at the 10th percentile against $94,290 at the 90th - a 2.1x 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 San Diego?
Yes. San Diego has 37% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 540 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 75 security systems integrators here average about 16 employees per location. With 29% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in San Diego?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in San Diego, a $133,210 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $91,620, 31% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $70,380. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (21% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in San Diego?
BLS counted 75 security systems integrators in San Diego in 2023, employing about 1,210 people between them. Up from 58 in 2018, a 29% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 16 people per location. They pay an average of $68,884, 14% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with San Diego for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Riverside (87 miles, about 980, $64,550 median), Los Angeles (111 miles, about 2,960, $71,570 median) and Bakersfield (212 miles, about 100, $57,620 median). Riverside has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. San Diego out-pays Riverside and Bakersfield, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in San Diego, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
Schedule a Discovery Call →