Physical Security recruiters serving Tucson.
Security and fire alarm systems installers are scarcer in Tucson than in most of the country, 24% fewer per job, so the roughly 170 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 20 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 Tucson.
BLS counts about 2,070 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Tucson metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,340). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.76). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Tucson: 170 employed · $47,690 median, 105th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Tucson: 1,340 employed · $59,480 median, 77th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Tucson: 820 employed · $98,740 median, 103rd-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Tucson: 630 employed · $73,590 median, 84th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Tucson: 560 employed · $75,460 median, 55th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Tucson: 1,900 employed · $71,480 median, 101st-highest of 112 metros
Hiring the same trade in another market? We recruit it in Charlotte, NC too.
What Physical Security roles earn in Tucson.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Tucson earn a median $47,690, 21% under the $60,070 national figure, and 105th of 110 metros. Pay runs $37,270 at the tenth percentile to $76,260 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $75,460 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Tucson 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) | $47,690 | $37,270–$76,260 | $60,070 | −21% | 170 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $59,480 | $45,260–$92,930 | $63,190 | −6% | 1,340 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $98,740 | $70,300–$160,120 | $114,990 | −14% | 820 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $73,590 | $46,610–$122,640 | $78,740 | −7% | 630 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $75,460 | $59,190–$94,640 | $78,190 | −3% | 560 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $71,480 | $49,990–$98,080 | $79,920 | −11% | 1,900 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Tucson 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 Tucson's physical security market has changed since 2018.
Tucson had 20 security systems integrators in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018. Headcount at those firms went up 10%, to about 117 people. Average annual pay there went from $51,195 to $69,125 (+35%), faster than the 26% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 20 | 20 | +0% |
| Security systems integrators: employment | 106 | 117 | +10% |
| Security systems integrators: average annual pay | $51,195 | $69,125 | +35% |
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
Tucson runs 24% 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 Tucson's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Tucson ranks 74th for headcount, 96th for median pay and 78th for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers. Pay here is among the lowest we see, which makes relocation offers from higher-paying metros a real retention risk.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 1,730 | $60,750 | 1.31 | 188 |
| Tucson | 170 | $47,690 | 0.76 | 20 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Tucson, 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, Tucson metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in Arizona.
Alarm businesses and each of their controlling persons must be certified by the board before operating, and individual alarm agents need their own certification. The same state rules apply in Phoenix, so candidates licensed there can work in Tucson without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Arizona State Board of Technical Registration. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Tucson talent.
The closest metro we cover is Phoenix, about 110 miles away, with roughly 1,730 security and fire alarm systems installers (10.2 times Tucson's 170). Phoenix pays the most nearby, a $60,750 median, 27% above Tucson. That is the number any Tucson offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Phoenix has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
What else is competing for Tucson crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Tucson in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Tucson Electric Power solar farm$150M, 100MWConstruction 18-24 months, full operations expected late 2026
A utility-scale solar facility sized to power roughly 25,000 homes, including grid-interconnection upgrades. Hundreds of construction jobs during the build phase, concentrated in electrical and heavy-civil trades.
This is the only project we track in Tucson. The Tucson market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Tucson.
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 Tucson.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Tucson?
BLS puts the Tucson median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $47,690 a year, 21% below the $60,070 national median. That ranks 105th of 110 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $37,270 and $76,260, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Arizona, Phoenix pays more, at $60,750.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Tucson?
Yes. Tucson has 24% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 170 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 20 security systems integrators here average about 5.8 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Tucson?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Tucson, a $98,740 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $75,460, 24% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $47,690. Security Systems Installer / Technician trails national pay the most (21% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Tucson?
BLS counted 20 security systems integrators in Tucson in 2023, employing about 117 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (20). That averages 5.8 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $69,125, 14% below the $80,288 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Tucson for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Phoenix (108 miles, about 1,730, $60,750 median) and El Paso (262 miles, about 480, $55,420 median). Phoenix has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Phoenix pays 27% more, which is where Tucson employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in Tucson, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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