Physical Security recruiters serving San Francisco.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in San Francisco earn a $79,350 median, 32% above the national figure, and about 1,030 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 123 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 Francisco.
BLS counts about 11,660 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the San Francisco metro, the largest group being electricians (about 9,060). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.78). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
San Francisco: 1,030 employed · $79,350 median, 3rd-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
San Francisco: 9,060 employed · $92,830 median, 5th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
San Francisco: 5,160 employed · $166,030 median, highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
San Francisco: 3,300 employed · $101,630 median, 2nd-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
San Francisco: 1,570 employed · $91,020 median, 12th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
San Francisco: 9,810 employed · $120,810 median, 3rd-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in San Francisco.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in San Francisco earn a median $79,350, 32% over the $60,070 national figure, and 3rd of 110 metros. Pay runs $52,040 at the tenth percentile to $115,130 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $92,830 against $63,190 nationally.
| Role | San Francisco 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) | $79,350 | $52,040–$115,130 | $60,070 | +32% | 1,030 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $92,830 | $55,360–$182,340 | $63,190 | +47% | 9,060 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $166,030 | $100,910–$225,120 | $114,990 | +44% | 5,160 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $101,630 | $58,910–$167,780 | $78,740 | +29% | 3,300 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $91,020 | $57,780–$126,170 | $78,190 | +16% | 1,570 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $120,810 | $73,860–$166,330 | $79,920 | +51% | 9,810 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Francisco 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 Francisco's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in San Francisco rose from 115 in 2018 to 123 in 2023, up 7%, behind the 18% growth nationally.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 115 | 123 | +7% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | – | 3,006 | – |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | – | $121,101 | – |
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
San Francisco runs 22% fewer physical security workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Francisco's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, San Francisco ranks 19th for headcount, 3rd for median pay and 76th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers. Pay here is among the highest we see, so offers need to start near the top of the range.
| 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 Francisco, 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 Francisco 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 Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in San Francisco without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (California Department of Consumer Affairs). Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a physical security search in San Francisco 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 Francisco than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Roofing ShinglerThree weeks to add a safety-conscious shingler to a crew the client keeps building year-round.
- Roofing Project ManagerTwo decades of superintendent and project management experience against a five-year bar - placed in days.
- Commercial Construction ForemanFifteen years of construction with foreman-level crew leadership on both commercial and residential builds.
Nearby markets competing for San Francisco talent.
The closest metro we cover is San Jose, about 40 miles away, with roughly 320 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.3 times San Francisco's 1,030). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $60,950 in Fresno to $81,980 in San Jose, against $79,350 here. San Francisco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | – | 1,030 | $79,350 |
| San Jose | 42 mi | 320 | $81,980 |
| Stockton | 63 mi | 110 | $63,670 |
| Sacramento | 75 mi | 570 | $70,830 |
| Modesto | 78 mi | 140 | $62,230 |
| Fresno | 162 mi | 190 | $60,950 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for San Francisco crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into San Francisco in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- UCSF / Kaiser / Sutter hospital expansionsReal trend, no verified regional totalRolling
OSHPD/HCAI-compliant healthcare construction. Seismic retrofit deadlines drive urgent demand for healthcare mechanical PMs and hospital-experienced trades.
- South San Francisco life-sciences build-outsReal trend, no verified regional totalRolling
Biotech capital of the world. Lab TI, cleanroom mechanical, and process piping. Specialty MEP with life-sciences experience commands large premiums.
- Tech campus build-outs & tenant improvements (SF / Silicon Valley edge)Real trend, no verified regional totalRolling
Corporate HQ campuses and downtown TI fit-outs. Fast timelines, high-spec finishes, and the region's high prevailing wage scale drive crew premiums on interiors trades.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The San Francisco market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in San Francisco.
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 Francisco.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in San Francisco?
BLS puts the San Francisco median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $79,350 a year, 32% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 3rd of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $52,040 at the 10th percentile against $115,130 at the 90th - a 2.2x 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 Francisco?
Yes. San Francisco has 22% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 1,030 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 123 security systems integrators here average about 24 employees per location.
Which physical security roles pay the most in San Francisco?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in San Francisco, a $166,030 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) at $92,830, 44% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $79,350. Relative to national pay, Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead is the strongest-paying role here (51% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in San Francisco?
BLS counted 123 security systems integrators in San Francisco in 2023, employing about 3,006 people between them. Up from 115 in 2018, a 7% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 24 people per location. They pay an average of $121,101, 51% above the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with San Francisco for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are San Jose (42 miles, about 320, $81,980 median), Stockton (63 miles, about 110, $63,670 median) and Sacramento (75 miles, about 570, $70,830 median). San Francisco out-pays Stockton and Sacramento, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Deep pool. Heavily fished.
San Francisco has 1,030 security and fire alarm systems installers, 19th of the 109 metros we cover, and still 22% fewer per job than the country. The pool is deep and every employer here is fishing it. Let's get to the ones worth moving first.
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