Physical Security recruiters serving San Jose.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in San Jose than in most of the country, 50% fewer per job, so the roughly 320 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 49 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 Jose.
BLS counts about 8,680 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the San Jose metro, the largest group being electricians (about 5,480). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.50). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
San Jose: 320 employed · $81,980 median, highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
San Jose: 5,480 employed · $91,030 median, 6th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
San Jose: 1,850 employed · $163,040 median, 2nd-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
San Jose: 1,680 employed · $97,580 median, 3rd-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
San Jose: 2,880 employed · $95,280 median, 9th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
San Jose: 4,770 employed · $129,700 median, highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in San Jose.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in San Jose earn a median $81,980, 36% over the $60,070 national figure, and 1st of 110 metros. Pay runs $55,980 at the tenth percentile to $121,160 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $95,280 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | San Jose 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) | $81,980 | $55,980–$121,160 | $60,070 | +36% | 320 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $91,030 | $54,290–$173,340 | $63,190 | +44% | 5,480 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $163,040 | $97,900–$249,990 | $114,990 | +42% | 1,850 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $97,580 | $61,550–$170,550 | $78,740 | +24% | 1,680 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $95,280 | $66,570–$126,970 | $78,190 | +22% | 2,880 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $129,700 | $76,800–$196,070 | $79,920 | +62% | 4,770 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Jose 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 Jose's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in San Jose rose from 42 in 2018 to 49 in 2023, up 17%, close to the 18% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 50%, to about 2,419 people. Average annual pay there went from $191,831 to $253,429 (+32%), faster than the 26% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 42 | 49 | +17% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 1,616 | 2,419 | +50% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $191,831 | $253,429 | +32% |
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 Jose runs 50% 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 Jose's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, San Jose ranks 54th for headcount, 1st for median pay and 95th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers. That makes it one of the thinnest physical security labor markets we recruit in.
| 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 Jose, 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 Jose 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, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in San Jose 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 Jose talent.
The closest metro we cover is San Francisco, about 40 miles away, with roughly 1,030 security and fire alarm systems installers (3.2 times San Jose's 320). San Jose pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($81,980 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Fresno at $60,950. San Francisco has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose | – | 320 | $81,980 |
| San Francisco | 42 mi | 1,030 | $79,350 |
| Modesto | 53 mi | 140 | $62,230 |
| Stockton | 54 mi | 110 | $63,670 |
| Sacramento | 89 mi | 570 | $70,830 |
| Fresno | 124 mi | 190 | $60,950 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for San Jose crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into San Jose in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Prologis STEM Park (North San Jose)~$25B, 396MW data center + manufacturing campusApproved Nov 2025
Prologis - traditionally a logistics/industrial developer - was selected by San Jose's city council to build a 159-acre data center and advanced manufacturing campus on city-owned land near Zanker Road and Highway 237. Evidence the AI-driven data-center boom is pulling in developers beyond the traditional tech giants.
- PG&E data-center pipeline - San Jose1,630 MW requested across 11 projectsRolling, multi-year
San Jose is positioning itself as the Bay Area's data-center capital, driven by AI infrastructure demand. Eleven separate projects have requested a combined 1,630 megawatts of capacity from PG&E - more than three times the number of housing units in the city, a signal of the sheer scale of mechanical and electrical buildout underway.
These are the 2 projects we track in San Jose. The San Jose market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in San Jose.
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 Jose.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in San Jose?
BLS puts the San Jose median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $81,980 a year, 36% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks first of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $55,980 at the 10th percentile against $121,160 at the 90th - a 2.2x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. No other California metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in San Jose?
Yes. San Jose has 50% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 320 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 49 security systems integrators here average about 49 employees per location, which means a handful of large operators set the pace on pay. With 17% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which physical security roles pay the most in San Jose?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in San Jose, a $163,040 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $95,280, 42% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $81,980. Relative to national pay, Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead is the strongest-paying role here (62% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in San Jose?
BLS counted 49 security systems integrators in San Jose in 2023, employing about 2,419 people between them. Up from 42 in 2018, a 17% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 49 people per location, so a few large operators dominate hiring. They pay an average of $253,429, 216% above the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with San Jose for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are San Francisco (42 miles, about 1,030, $79,350 median), Modesto (53 miles, about 140, $62,230 median) and Stockton (54 miles, about 110, $63,670 median). San Francisco has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. San Jose out-pays Modesto and Stockton, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in San Jose, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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