Fire Alarm Technician Salary & Pay Data
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Broader BLS occupation: SOC 49-2098 Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers
BLS publishes no fire-alarm-only figure; this is all Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers, which also counts burglar-alarm and access-control installers.
Annual figures are BLS hourly wages × 2,080 hours. OEWS covers wage-and-salary workers only, so it leaves out the self-employed, workers in private households, overtime pay and most bonuses.
What the BLS figure covers
These are BLS figures for every worker in SOC 49-2098 Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.
BLS publishes no separate series or percentiles for fire alarm technicians, so this page does not show a percentile table for the role.
Pay by employer setting
| Employer setting (BLS) | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors, where fire sprinkler contractors are classified (NAICS 238220) | $62,330 | $29.97 |
| Investigation and security services (NAICS 5616) | $60,240 | $28.96 |
| Electrical contractors, where most fire alarm contractors are classified (NAICS 238210) | $58,130 | $27.95 |
Median wage for SOC 49-2098 Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers by industry, BLS OEWS May 2025. These cover all security and fire alarm systems installers in each industry, not fire alarm technicians alone.
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers Salary by State
Median annual wage for SOC 49-2098 Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers in each state, BLS OEWS May 2025, alphabetical. "vs. U.S." compares the state median with the national median of $60,070; it is not adjusted for living costs.
BLS has no state series for fire alarm technicians; these are the figures for all security and fire alarm systems installers, shown as a labelled proxy.
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs | vs. U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $60,710 | $29.19 | 1,350 | +1% |
| Alaska | $79,870 | $38.40 | 110 | +33% |
| Arizona | $59,680 | $28.69 | 2,040 | −1% |
| Arkansas | $48,950 | $23.53 | 620 | −19% |
| California | $71,570 | $34.41 | 8,180 | +19% |
| Colorado | $62,250 | $29.93 | 1,950 | +4% |
| Connecticut | $75,410 | $36.26 | 540 | +26% |
| Delaware | $59,680 | $28.69 | 160 | −1% |
| District of Columbia | $58,460 | $28.11 | 210 | −3% |
| Florida | $60,070 | $28.88 | 8,320 | +0% |
| Georgia | $53,100 | $25.53 | 2,220 | −12% |
| Hawaii | $63,140 | $30.36 | 380 | +5% |
| Idaho | $49,180 | $23.65 | 340 | −18% |
| Illinois | $59,800 | $28.75 | 2,180 | −0% |
| Indiana | $58,070 | $27.92 | 1,930 | −3% |
| Iowa | $63,750 | $30.65 | 480 | +6% |
| Kansas | $61,480 | $29.56 | 740 | +2% |
| Kentucky | $60,700 | $29.18 | 1,080 | +1% |
| Louisiana | $54,730 | $26.31 | 1,170 | −9% |
| Maine | $64,080 | $30.81 | 240 | +7% |
| Maryland | $65,330 | $31.41 | 2,230 | +9% |
| Massachusetts | $78,530 | $37.76 | 1,690 | +31% |
| Michigan | $55,830 | $26.84 | 2,060 | −7% |
| Minnesota | $62,440 | $30.02 | 770 | +4% |
| Mississippi | $47,160 | $22.67 | 440 | −21% |
| Missouri | $54,620 | $26.26 | 1,790 | −9% |
| Montana | $58,800 | $28.27 | 190 | −2% |
| Nebraska | $48,000 | $23.08 | 490 | −20% |
| Nevada | $60,980 | $29.32 | 1,170 | +2% |
| New Hampshire | $61,530 | $29.58 | 500 | +2% |
| New Jersey | $63,140 | $30.36 | 2,740 | +5% |
| New Mexico | $58,350 | $28.05 | 630 | −3% |
| New York | $58,550 | $28.15 | 6,620 | −3% |
| North Carolina | $54,120 | $26.02 | 2,880 | −10% |
| North Dakota | $57,620 | $27.70 | 150 | −4% |
| Ohio | $61,860 | $29.74 | 2,440 | +3% |
| Oklahoma | $48,240 | $23.19 | 1,340 | −20% |
| Oregon | $75,710 | $36.40 | 950 | +26% |
| Pennsylvania | $59,500 | $28.61 | 2,650 | −1% |
| Rhode Island | $76,320 | $36.69 | 240 | +27% |
| South Carolina | $59,710 | $28.71 | 1,050 | −1% |
| South Dakota | $55,690 | $26.77 | 220 | −7% |
| Tennessee | $51,460 | $24.74 | 2,520 | −14% |
| Texas | $52,270 | $25.13 | 10,260 | −13% |
| Utah | $61,150 | $29.40 | 980 | +2% |
| Vermont | $60,080 | $28.89 | 110 | +0% |
| Virginia | $60,790 | $29.23 | 2,130 | +1% |
| Washington | $72,950 | $35.07 | 1,670 | +21% |
| West Virginia | $51,100 | $24.57 | 260 | −15% |
| Wisconsin | $61,130 | $29.39 | 770 | +2% |
| Wyoming | $59,800 | $28.75 | 150 | −0% |
Job outlook
BLS projects security and fire alarm systems installers to grow from 86,300 to 92,100 jobs from 2025 to 2035 (+6.8%), with about 8,500 openings a year.
That projection covers security and fire alarm installers together.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2), SOC 49-2098 Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers. Projected employment includes the self-employed.
Pay by fire protection role
BLS publishes wages by occupation, not job title.
Only fire inspectors are a BLS occupation of their own; the other fire protection titles sit inside a broader occupation or borrow the closest available one, and sales reps have no BLS figure at all.
Compare figures with the same basis only.
| Role | Median shown | What the number is |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinkler Fitter | $63,800 | Closest available occupation (SOC 47-2152) |
| Fire Alarm Technician | $60,070 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 49-2098) |
| Sprinkler Foreman | $79,920 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 47-1011) |
| Fire Inspector | $75,920 | BLS occupation (SOC 33-2021) |
| Fire Sprinkler Designer | $71,550 | Closest available occupation (SOC 17-3013) |
| Fire Alarm Designer | $76,870 | Closest available occupation (SOC 17-3012) |
| Fire Protection Engineer | $115,160 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 17-2111) |
| Fire Protection Estimator | $78,740 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 13-1051) |
| Fire Protection Project Manager | $114,990 | Closest available occupation (SOC 11-9021) |
| Fire Protection Sales Rep | No BLS figure | No BLS occupation |
| Fire Protection Service Manager | $79,860 | Closest available occupation (SOC 49-1011) |
Fire Alarm Technician salary questions
01How much do fire alarm technicians make a year?
BLS publishes no separate wage for fire alarm technicians. They are counted with all security and fire alarm systems installers (SOC 49-2098), whose median annual wage was $60,070 in May 2025, with a 10th percentile of $38,800 and a 90th percentile of $81,150.
02How much do fire alarm technicians make an hour?
The median hourly wage for security and fire alarm systems installers was $28.88 in May 2025. BLS converts between hourly and annual figures at 2,080 hours a year, so this is the same median per hour, before overtime, per diem or bonuses.
03Which state pays security and fire alarm systems installers the most?
Alaska had the highest median in May 2025 at $79,870. Mississippi had the lowest at $47,160. These are not adjusted for living costs; the state table above lists every state BLS published.
04What is the average fire alarm technician salary?
The mean (average) annual wage for security and fire alarm systems installers was $60,960 in May 2025, against a $60,070 median. The median is the better guide to a typical salary, because a smaller number of high earners pull the average up.
05Which employers pay security and fire alarm systems installers the most?
Of the industries listed above, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors, where fire sprinkler contractors are classified (NAICS 238220) had the highest median for security and fire alarm systems installers in May 2025 at $62,330. Electrical contractors, where most fire alarm contractors are classified (NAICS 238210) had the lowest of those listed at $58,130.
06Does this include union scale?
OEWS reports one wage series for the whole occupation, union and non-union together. Union scale is set in each local's own agreement, and this page does not quote one.