Physical Security recruiters serving Winston-Salem.
At a $49,180 median, security and fire alarm systems installers in Winston-Salem earn 18% less than nationally; about 130 work in the metro. BLS counts 13 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 Winston-Salem.
BLS counts about 1,290 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Winston-Salem metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,120). Relative to the size of the local economy, security and fire alarm systems installers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.84). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Physical Security hub.
Security Systems Installer / Technician
Winston-Salem: 130 employed · $49,180 median, 99th-highest of 110 metros
Access Control Technician
CCTV / Video Surveillance Technician
Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)
Winston-Salem: 1,120 employed · $56,100 median, 100th-highest of 112 metros
Alarm Systems Technician
Security Systems Project Manager
Winston-Salem: 710 employed · $103,750 median, 79th-highest of 111 metros
Security Systems Estimator
Winston-Salem: 540 employed · $71,220 median, 99th-highest of 111 metros
Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator
Winston-Salem: 40 employed · $74,630 median, 58th-highest of 106 metros
Field Service Technician
Security Systems Foreman / Crew Lead
Winston-Salem: 1,500 employed · $74,360 median, 93rd-highest of 112 metros
What Physical Security roles earn in Winston-Salem.
Security and fire alarm systems installers in Winston-Salem earn a median $49,180, 18% under the $60,070 national figure, and 99th of 110 metros. Pay runs $35,880 at the tenth percentile to $70,560 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, at $74,630 against $78,190 nationally.
| Role | Winston-Salem 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) | $49,180 | $35,880–$70,560 | $60,070 | −18% | 130 |
| Low-Voltage Electrician (Security Specialty)Electricians (47-2111) | $56,100 | $38,550–$72,350 | $63,190 | −11% | 1,120 |
| Security Systems Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $103,750 | $65,330–$181,260 | $114,990 | −10% | 710 |
| Security Systems EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $71,220 | $36,300–$106,740 | $78,740 | −10% | 540 |
| Integration Engineer / Systems IntegratorElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023) | $74,630 | $47,520–$103,330 | $78,190 | −5% | 40 |
| Security Systems Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $74,360 | $49,940–$104,740 | $79,920 | −7% | 1,500 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem's physical security market has changed since 2018.
Winston-Salem lost security systems integrators between 2018 and 2023, from 16 business locations to 13 (down 19%), behind the 18% growth nationally. How many people those 13 locations employ is not published: with a category this small, BLS would effectively be reporting individual employers' payrolls.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security systems integrators: business locations | 16 | 13 | −19% |
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
Winston-Salem runs 16% 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 Winston-Salem's physical security market compares
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Winston-Salem ranks 84th for headcount, 91st for median pay and 71st 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 890 | $61,590 | 1.18 | 102 |
| Raleigh | 600 | $59,580 | 1.45 | 54 |
| Greensboro | 210 | $51,500 | 1.04 | 20 |
| Winston-Salem | 130 | $49,180 | 0.84 | 13 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 80 | $47,050 | 0.43 | 17 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For physical security employers in Winston-Salem, 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, Winston-Salem metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Physical Security licensing in North Carolina.
Businesses that sell, install, service or monitor security systems, including security cameras, must be licensed through a qualifying individual, and their employees must register. Applicants submit FBI fingerprint cards for criminal record checks. The same state rules apply in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Durham-Chapel Hill, so candidates licensed there can work in Winston-Salem without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Alarm Systems Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Winston-Salem talent.
The closest metro we cover is Greensboro, about 25 miles away, with roughly 210 security and fire alarm systems installers (1.6 times Winston-Salem's 130). Charlotte pays the most nearby, a $61,590 median, 25% above Winston-Salem. That is the number any Winston-Salem offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Charlotte has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem | – | 130 | $49,180 |
| Greensboro | 25 mi | 210 | $51,500 |
| Charlotte | 69 mi | 890 | $61,590 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 75 mi | 80 | $47,050 |
| Raleigh | 93 mi | 600 | $59,580 |
| Greenville | 149 mi | 160 | $60,390 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Winston-Salem crews.
Not physical security work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Winston-Salem in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Freischlag Tower~$426M campus expansion (the $619.1M bond issuance also covered refinancing of other system debt, not solely this tower)Opened July 2025
A new care tower on the main Ardmore campus - one of the largest healthcare capital projects in the region's history.
- Innovation Quarter Phase IIUndisclosed (28 acres, 2.5M+ sq ft planned)Multi-year buildout
Eight new buildings between downtown Winston-Salem and U.S. 52, combining retail, scientific/biotech, healthcare, and residential space.
- Downtown amphitheater~$25MGroundbreaking July 2026
A permanent, 5,000-capacity venue - grown from an initial ~$10M modular concept - anchoring downtown's entertainment district.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Winston-Salem market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for physical security, and what kills offers in Winston-Salem.
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 Winston-Salem.
What do security and fire alarm systems installers earn in Winston-Salem?
BLS puts the Winston-Salem median for security and fire alarm systems installers at $49,180 a year, 18% below the $60,070 national median. That ranks 99th of 110 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $35,880 and $70,560, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within North Carolina, Charlotte pays more, at $61,590.
Is it hard to hire security and fire alarm systems installers in Winston-Salem?
Yes. Winston-Salem has 16% fewer security and fire alarm systems installers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 130 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. There are 19% fewer of those firms than in 2018, so experienced people have fewer local employers to move between.
Which physical security roles pay the most in Winston-Salem?
Of the roles we recruit for, Security Systems Project Manager pays the most in Winston-Salem, a $103,750 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Integration Engineer / Systems Integrator at $74,630, 28% below it. Security Systems Installer / Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $49,180. Security Systems Installer / Technician trails national pay the most (18% below).
How many security systems integrators operate in Winston-Salem?
BLS counted 13 security systems integrators in Winston-Salem in 2023. Down from 16 in 2018, a 19% decline against 18% growth nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers.
Which nearby metros compete with Winston-Salem for security and fire alarm systems installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Greensboro (25 miles, about 210, $51,500 median), Charlotte (69 miles, about 890, $61,590 median) and Durham-Chapel Hill (75 miles, about 80, $47,050 median). Greensboro has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Charlotte pays 25% more, which is where Winston-Salem employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With security and fire alarm systems installers this scarce in Winston-Salem, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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