Physical Security recruiters serving Seattle.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Seattle earn a $75,910 median, 26% above the national figure, and about 1,000 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 118 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 Seattle.
BLS counts about 12,320 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Seattle metro, the largest group being electricians (about 9,750). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.87). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Seattle: 1,000 employed · $75,910 median, 6th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Seattle: 9,750 employed · $101,780 median, 3rd-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Seattle: 4,010 employed · $159,430 median, 3rd-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Seattle: 4,340 employed · $94,490 median, 5th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Seattle: 1,570 employed · $98,180 median, 4th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Seattle: 11,040 employed · $121,130 median, 2nd-highest of 112 metros
Hiring the same trade in another market? We recruit it in Winston-Salem, NC too.
What Physical Security roles earn in Seattle.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Seattle earn a median $75,910, 26% over the $60,070 national figure, and 6th of 110 metros. Pay runs $52,210 at the tenth percentile to $102,730 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $101,780 against $63,190 nationally.
| Role | Seattle 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) | $75,910 | $52,210–$102,730 | $60,070 | +26% | 1,000 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $101,780 | $55,690–$151,290 | $63,190 | +61% | 9,750 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $159,430 | $109,800–$221,370 | $114,990 | +39% | 4,010 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $94,490 | $62,020–$152,220 | $78,740 | +20% | 4,340 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $98,180 | $60,920–$127,020 | $78,190 | +26% | 1,570 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $121,130 | $77,980–$170,810 | $79,920 | +52% | 11,040 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Seattle 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 Seattle's physical security market has changed since 2018.
The number of security systems integrators in Seattle rose from 113 in 2018 to 118 in 2023, up 4%, behind the 18% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 4%, to about 1,833 people. Average annual pay there went from $70,086 to $90,861 (+30%), faster than the 26% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 113 | 118 | +4% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 1,770 | 1,833 | +4% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $70,086 | $90,861 | +30% |
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
Seattle runs 13% 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 Seattle's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Seattle ranks 20th for headcount, 6th for median pay and 68th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 1,000 | $75,910 | 0.87 | 118 |
| Spokane | 160 | $64,190 | 1.15 | 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 Seattle, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Seattle metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Washington.
Low-voltage signaling and power-limited circuits are licensed through the state's limited energy system (06) electrical specialty. The same state rules apply in Spokane, so candidates licensed there can work in Seattle without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a physical security search in Seattle 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 Seattle than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Service Operations CoordinatorA lead dispatcher used to 20-25 technicians and 75 calls a day, placed in eight days.
- Commercial SuperintendentTwenty-five years of ground-up commercial leadership, placed in two weeks.
- Construction SuperintendentTenant-improvement and renovation leadership, including prevailing-wage public work.
Nearby markets competing for Seattle talent.
The closest metro we cover is Portland, about 145 miles away, with roughly 730 security and fire alarm systems installers (0.7 times Seattle's 1,000). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $64,190 in Spokane to $76,630 in Portland, against $75,910 here. Seattle is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
What else is competing for Seattle crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Seattle in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Amazon & Microsoft campus build-outs + TIsReal trend, no verified regional totalRolling
South Lake Union and Eastside campuses plus continuous tenant-improvement churn. High-spec commercial MEP, fast-track fit-out, senior PMs with tech-client experience in constant demand.
- Data center growth (Central WA)Real trend, no verified regional totalSeattle itself has an active 2026 moratorium on new large data-center permits, so growth is concentrated in Central WA, not rolling metro-wide
Central Washington is a major hyperscale market. Mechanical PMs with cooling specialty and high-voltage electrical crews command premiums.
- Providence Swedish North Tower + UW Medicine hospital expansions$1.3B (Providence Swedish North Tower); UW Medicine's piece is a one-year feasibility study announced July 2026 with no disclosed cost, funding, or scheduleNorth Tower targeting 2027
Providence Swedish, and eventually UW Medicine pending its feasibility study, drive steady healthcare mechanical, med-gas, and specialty MEP demand across the metro.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Seattle market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Seattle.
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 Seattle.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Seattle?
BLS puts the Seattle median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $75,910 a year, 26% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 6th of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $52,210 and $102,730, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Washington metro we cover pays more for this work (Spokane: $64,190).
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Seattle?
It is about average. Security and fire alarm systems installers are as common in Seattle as they are nationally (location quotient 0.87), with about 1,000 in the metro. The 118 security systems integrators here average about 16 employees per location.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Seattle?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Seattle, a $159,430 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) at $101,780, 36% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $75,910. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (61% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in Seattle?
BLS counted 118 security systems integrators in Seattle in 2023, employing about 1,833 people between them. Up from 113 in 2018, a 4% increase against 18% growth nationally. That averages 16 people per location. They pay an average of $90,861, 13% above the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Seattle for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Portland (145 miles, about 730, $76,630 median) and Spokane (228 miles, about 160, $64,190 median). Seattle out-pays Spokane, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
118 security systems integrators in Seattle are drawing on the same 1,000 security and fire alarm systems installers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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