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Fire alarm technician: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$60,070median pay per year, or $28.88 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $38,800lowest 10% earn less
  2. $47,82025th percentile
  3. $60,070median
  4. $73,69075th percentile
  5. $81,150top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[2]

Security and fire alarm systems installers had a median pay of $60,070 a year, compared with $50,980 for all occupations[1][2]. BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical education for entry[3].

Job growth, 2025–35
+6.8%[5]
Openings per year
8,500[6]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[3]

How much do fire alarm technicians make?

O*NET lists fire alarm technician as a sample job title for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers[7]. The median pay was $60,070 a year, or $28.88 an hour, in May 2025[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $60,960 a year, or $29.31 an hour[8].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38,800 a year, and the 25th percentile was $47,820[4]. The 75th percentile was $73,690, and the 90th percentile was $81,150[4]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[9].

Measure Annual Hourly
10th percentile[4][10] $38,800 $18.65
25th percentile[4][10] $47,820 $22.99
Median[1] $60,070 $28.88
75th percentile[4][10] $73,690 $35.43
90th percentile[4][10] $81,150 $39.01

For comparison, the median for all occupations was $50,980 a year[2]. These wages cover paid employees only. They leave out the self-employed, nonproduction bonuses and the cost of benefits[11]. About 86,340 people held wage and salary jobs in this group[12].

Pay by state and city

Alaska had the highest median pay at $79,870 a year, followed by Massachusetts at $78,530 and Rhode Island at $76,320[13]. Mississippi had the lowest published state median, at $47,160[13]. Texas had the most jobs, with 10,260, followed by Florida with 8,320 and California with 8,180[14].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest median at $81,980, followed by Anchorage, AK at $79,870[15]. The metro area with the most jobs was New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, with 6,850 jobs and a median of $59,280[16]. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX had 3,550 jobs and a median of $57,930[16].

Show median pay in 50 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
Alaska[13]$79,870110
Massachusetts$78,5301,690
Rhode Island$76,320240
Oregon$75,710950
Connecticut$75,410540
Washington$72,9501,670
California$71,5708,180
Maryland$65,3302,230
Maine$64,080240
Iowa$63,750480
Hawaii$63,140380
New Jersey$63,1402,740
Minnesota$62,440770
Colorado$62,2501,950
Ohio$61,8602,440
New Hampshire$61,530500
Kansas$61,480740
Utah$61,150980
Wisconsin$61,130770
Nevada$60,9801,170
Virginia$60,7902,130
Alabama$60,7101,350
Kentucky$60,7001,080
Vermont$60,080110
Florida$60,0708,320
Illinois$59,8002,180
Wyoming$59,800150
South Carolina$59,7101,050
Arizona$59,6802,040
Delaware$59,680160
Pennsylvania$59,5002,650
Montana$58,800190
New York$58,5506,620
District of Columbia$58,460210
New Mexico$58,350630
Indiana$58,0701,930
North Dakota$57,620150
Michigan$55,8302,060
South Dakota$55,690220
Louisiana$54,7301,170
Missouri$54,6201,790
North Carolina$54,1202,880
Georgia$53,1002,220
Texas$52,27010,260
Tennessee$51,4602,520
West Virginia$51,100260
Idaho$49,180340
Arkansas$48,950620
Oklahoma$48,2401,340
Nebraska$48,000490
Mississippi$47,160440

How to become a fire alarm technician

BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education for entry, with no related work experience needed[3]. The typical on-the-job training is moderate-term[3]. The facts here do not say how long that training lasts or whether a license is needed.

In an O*NET survey of 21 workers, 49% said a post-secondary certificate was required and 41% said a high school diploma was[17]. Because the survey is small, treat these shares as a rough guide.

What fire alarm technicians do

These workers set up, program, service and fix wiring and equipment for security and fire alarms, and they make sure the work follows relevant codes[18]. Typical tasks include:

Job outlook

BLS projects that jobs will grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 86,300 to 92,100 jobs[5]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same period[20]. These counts include self-employed workers, and 0.9% of installers were self-employed in 2025[5][21].

About 8,500 openings are projected each year on average[6]. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 2.9% of workers leave the labor force and 6% move to a different occupation[22].

Is it a good fit?

Median pay is above the all-occupations median[1][2]. Entry needs a high school diploma and no related experience, followed by moderate-term on-the-job training[3]. Growth is faster than the all-occupations rate[5][20]. Pay varies by state, with a median of $79,870 in Alaska and $47,160 in Mississippi[13].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[23].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a fire alarm technician make an hour?
The median was $28.88 an hour in May 2025[1]. The 10th percentile was $18.65 and the 90th was $39.01[10].
What education do you need to be a fire alarm technician?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education[3].
What is the highest paying state for fire alarm technicians?
Alaska, with a median of $79,870 a year[13].
Are fire alarm technicians in demand?
BLS projects 6.8% growth from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, and about 8,500 openings a year[5][20][6].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers in the US was $60,070 per year and $28.88 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers: 10th percentile $38,800, 25th percentile $47,820, 75th percentile $73,690, 90th percentile $81,150. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers is projected to grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 86,300 to 92,100 jobs (a change of +5,900). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 8,500 openings for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. O*NET 49-2098.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Alarm Technician, Fire Alarm Technician (Fire Alarm Tech), Home Security Alarm Installer, Install Technician, Installation Technician, Installer, Security Installation Technician, Security Installer. O*NET OnLine
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers was $60,960 per year and $29.31 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers: 10th percentile $18.65, 25th percentile $22.99, 75th percentile $35.43, 90th percentile $39.01. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 86,340 people were employed as Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. Median annual wage for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers jobs: Texas 10,260; Florida 8,320; California 8,180; New York 6,620; North Carolina 2,880. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $81,980; Anchorage, AK $79,870; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $79,350; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $78,560; Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $76,630; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $75,910; Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $75,350; New Haven, CT $75,080. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 6,850 (median $59,280); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 3,550 (median $57,930); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,960 (median $71,570); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 2,500 (median $56,920); Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,220 (median $60,560); Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 1,730 (median $60,750). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. O*NET 49-2098.00 survey of workers (21 respondents), education level they say is required: Post-Secondary Certificate 49%, High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 41%, Some College Courses 8% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET description of Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET task list for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers. O*NET OnLine
  20. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  21. BLS Employment Projections: 0.9% of Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  22. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers: 2.9% of workers leave the labor force each year and 6% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  23. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.