Physical Security recruiters serving Stockton.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in Stockton than in most of the country, 29% fewer per job, so the roughly 110 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 10 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 Stockton.
BLS counts about 1,370 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Stockton metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,180). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.71). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Stockton: 110 employed · $63,670 median, 18th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Stockton: 1,180 employed · $76,410 median, 24th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Stockton: 560 employed · $120,210 median, 35th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Stockton: 440 employed · $81,380 median, 26th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Stockton: 80 employed
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Stockton: 1,140 employed · $82,490 median, 34th-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Stockton.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Stockton earn a median $63,670, 6% over the $60,070 national figure, and 18th of 110 metros. Pay runs $46,880 at the tenth percentile to $99,080 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electricians, at $76,410 against $63,190 nationally. BLS withholds Stockton pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Stockton 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) | $63,670 | $46,880–$99,080 | $60,070 | +6% | 110 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $76,410 | $46,030–$137,400 | $63,190 | +21% | 1,180 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $120,210 | $73,170–$181,360 | $114,990 | +5% | 560 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $81,380 | $51,510–$130,570 | $78,740 | +3% | 440 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | – | – | $78,190 | – | 80 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $82,490 | $57,870–$131,360 | $79,920 | +3% | 1,140 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Stockton 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 Stockton's physical security market has changed since 2018.
Stockton had 10 security systems integrators in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. Headcount at those firms went up 22%, to about 123 people. Average annual pay there went from $51,113 to $63,920 (+25%), in step with the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 10 | 10 | +0% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 101 | 123 | +22% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $51,113 | $63,920 | +25% |
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
Stockton runs 29% 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 Stockton's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Stockton ranks 86th for headcount, 17th for median pay and 82nd 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 Stockton, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Stockton 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, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in Stockton 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 Stockton talent.
The closest metro we cover is Modesto, about 25 miles away, with roughly 140 security and fire alarm systems installers (1.3 times Stockton's 110). San Jose pays the most nearby, an $81,980 median, 29% above Stockton. That is the number any Stockton offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. San Francisco has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton | – | 110 | $63,670 |
| Modesto | 27 mi | 140 | $62,230 |
| Sacramento | 44 mi | 570 | $70,830 |
| San Jose | 54 mi | 320 | $81,980 |
| San Francisco | 63 mi | 1,030 | $79,350 |
| Fresno | 118 mi | 190 | $60,950 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Stockton crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Stockton in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- I-5 Stockton Channel Viaduct ReplacementNearly $1B ($532M already allocated via SB1)Construction begins 2026, completion 2031
The largest project investment in Caltrans District 10 history - replacing aging bridge structures on one of California's busiest highways.
- Walmart fulfillment center900,000 sq ftOpening 2026
A new high-tech fulfillment center at 150 Mariposa Road expected to employ more than 1,000 people - substantial warehouse-facility MEP demand.
- Medline distribution center709,000 sq ft (part of 1.6M+ sq ft total expansion)In use by January 2027
A 45% expansion of Medline's Northern California customer-facing distribution footprint, following two large facilities secured after a fire displaced prior capacity.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Stockton market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Stockton.
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 Stockton.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Stockton?
BLS puts the Stockton median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $63,670 a year, 6% above the $60,070 national median. That ranks 18th of 110 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $46,880 at the 10th percentile against $99,080 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 Stockton?
Yes. Stockton has 29% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 110 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 10 security systems integrators here average about 12 employees per location.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Stockton?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Stockton, a $120,210 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) at $76,410, 36% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $63,670. Relative to national pay, Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (21% above).
How many security systems integrators operate in Stockton?
BLS counted 10 security systems integrators in Stockton in 2023, employing about 123 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (10). That averages 12 people per location. They pay an average of $63,920, 20% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Stockton for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Modesto (27 miles, about 140, $62,230 median), Sacramento (44 miles, about 570, $70,830 median) and San Jose (54 miles, about 320, $81,980 median). Sacramento has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Sacramento pays 11% more, which is where Stockton employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in Stockton, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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