Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers Salary: $73,613 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 81,510 security and fire alarm systems installers nationally earn a mean of $73,613. Employment in the series shown fell about 15% from the first to the last year; CA accounts for about 6,960 jobs in our geographic extract.
Key Statistics
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers: what the data shows
Common questions about security and fire alarm systems installers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a security and fire alarm systems installers?
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 49-2098.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 81,510 workers.
What does a security and fire alarm systems installers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Performing General Physical Activities, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a security and fire alarm systems installers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $59,300 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $73,613 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,010 |
| 25th percentile | $56,072 |
| Median (50th) | $67,790 |
| 75th percentile | $81,623 |
| 90th percentile | $103,959 |
What education do you need?
For Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Speaking, Installation, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, Computers and Electronics, Customer and Personal Service, Telecommunications. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is security and fire alarm systems installers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.1% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -0.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -1.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 81,510.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do security and fire alarm systems installerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 81,510 | 17.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 80,060 | 16.7% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 54,570 | 11.4% |
| Administrative and Support Services | 54,570 | 11.4% |
| Investigation and Security Services | 53,580 | 11.2% |
| Security Systems Services | 53,310 | 11.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Analysts | 497,800 | $103,790 |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | 32,890 | $61,680 |
| Highway Maintenance Workers | 151,750 | $49,070 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 318,570 | $96,800 |
| Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers | 97,540 | $38,860 |
| Security Guards | 1,241,770 | $38,370 |
| Information Security Analysts | 179,430 | $124,910 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers workforce.
Employment Over Time
81,510 Workforce in 2023
The Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$73,613 Average Wage
In 2023, Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers earned an average of $73,613.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Salary distribution for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
28,545 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -0.5%
28,391 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -1.1%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 6,960 employees, $73,768 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,800 employees, $71,692 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,100 employees, $75,208 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 700 employees, $67,061 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 610 employees, $82,380 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 590 employees, $75,276 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 490 employees, $72,195 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 320 employees, $90,229 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 290 employees, $82,298 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 170 employees, $59,656 avg wage
- Modesto MSA: 130 employees, $70,100 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers in 2023 was 81,510 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers in 2023 were Engineering, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers workers.
Education level distribution for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Skills
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Speaking, Installation, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving.
Required skills for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers include Public Safety and Security, Computers and Electronics, Customer and Personal Service, Telecommunications, Building and Construction.
Knowledge areas required for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Near Vision, Oral Expression, Arm-Hand Steadiness.
Required abilities for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
Daily Activities
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers spend their time on activities such as Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Performing General Physical Activities.
Most important work activities for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
About
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers
The average yearly wage for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers was $73,613 in 2023.
SOC Code
49-2098 - Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers reports an average salary of $73,613.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 81,510 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.