Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers
Install, program, maintain, and repair security and fire alarm wiring and equipment. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes.
- Median pay
- $60,070
- Doing it now
- 86,300
- By 2035
- Up 6.8%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
a year
across the country
8,500 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Examine systems to locate problems, such as loose connections or broken insulation.
- Mount and fasten control panels, door and window contacts, sensors, or video cameras, and attach electrical and telephone wiring to connect components.
- Install, maintain, or repair security systems, alarm devices, or related equipment, following blueprints of electrical layouts and building plans.
- Inspect installation sites and study work orders, building plans, and installation manuals to determine materials requirements and installation procedures.
- Adjust sensitivity of units, based on room structures and manufacturers' recommendations, using programming keypads.
- Test and repair circuits and sensors, following wiring and system specifications.
- Drill holes for wiring in wall studs, joists, ceilings, or floors.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Electrical and Power Transmission InstallersSee 2 colleges that teach it
- Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansSee 8 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Organised and precise
Analytical and curious
Careers like this one
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Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $60,070 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.