Fire Alarm Lead Technician Salary: United States
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The median annual wage for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in the United States was $60,070 in May 2025 (BLS). The middle half of workers in this occupation and area earned between $47,820 and $73,690. This is the broader occupation used for Fire Alarm Lead Technician, not a separately surveyed rate for that title or credential.
Broader occupation Our title "Fire Alarm Lead Technician" is reported by BLS as SOC 49-2098 Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers. BLS groups Fire Alarm Lead Technician within Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately.
Annual wages: Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098)
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098), the United States, annual wages: 10% earned less than $38,800, half earned less than the median of $60,070, 90% earned less than $81,150 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,800 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $47,820 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $60,070 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $73,690 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $81,150 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $60,960 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Hourly wages: Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098)
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098), the United States, hourly wages: 10% earned less than $18.65, half earned less than the median of $28.88, 90% earned less than $39.01 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Hourly wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.65 per hour | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.99 per hour | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $28.88 per hour | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $35.43 per hour | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $39.01 per hour | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $29.31 per hour | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Employment: BLS estimates 86,340 workers in this occupation nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 49-2098 Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers, National.
What BLS wages measure. OEWS estimates describe straight-time gross wages, not just base salary and not total compensation. They include commissions and production bonuses. They exclude overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. Discuss travel, per diem, tool and truck allowances separately. Percentiles describe the occupation's wage distribution, not seniority, plant size, job complexity or credentials. Licensing, union agreements and prevailing-wage obligations depend on the work and assignment; these figures do not establish a premium for them.
Official BLS wage definitions | Source dates and methodology
BLS definitions, verbatim
wages
Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
hours
Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly wages by 2,080 hours; for occupations where hourly wages are not published, annual wages were taken directly from the reported survey data.
Target metros
New York City and Northern New Jersey share the New York-Newark-Jersey City BLS area and one estimate, shown once below.
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th percentile | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $60,560 | $49,100 to $62,770 | 2,220 | 1.42 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $61,040 | $49,280 to $66,550 | 1,110 | 1.38 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $60,380 | $48,240 to $61,640 | 1,430 | 1.82 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $59,580 | $46,340 to $65,670 | 600 | 1.45 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $59,280 | $47,180 to $77,970 | 6,850 | 1.3 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $57,930 | $45,350 to $62,260 | 3,550 | 1.58 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $56,920 | $44,510 to $62,080 | 2,500 | 1.37 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $61,310 | $47,670 to $77,590 | 1,510 | 0.6 |
How does Fire Alarm Lead Technician pay differ by industry?
These are national industry estimates for SOC 49-2098, not local offers or separate estimates for the niche title. Industry names are exactly as BLS publishes them.
| Industry | NAICS | Median | Basis | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 23 | $60,320 | Annual | 21,340 |
| Construction of Buildings | 236000 | $62,500 | Annual | 50 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | $62,500 | Annual | 30 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 238000 | $60,320 | Annual | 21,280 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | $60,050 | Annual | 20,830 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 238900 | $72,320 | Annual | 370 |
| Manufacturing | 31-33 | $79,780 | Annual | 210 |
| Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 334000 | $82,050 | Annual | 100 |
| Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 334200 | $65,800 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 334500 | $91,330 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 53 | $60,260 | Annual | 80 |
| Real Estate | 531000 | $60,260 | Annual | 70 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 54 | $63,440 | Annual | 550 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 541000 | $63,440 | Annual | 550 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | $95,190 | Annual | 40 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 541500 | $45,800 | Annual | 210 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 541600 | $63,840 | Annual | 140 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 541700 | $87,580 | Annual | 120 |
| Repair and Maintenance | 811000 | $64,080 | Annual | 110 |
| Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance | 811200 | $59,450 | Annual | 40 |
Industry estimates are national. Do not combine an industry median with a local percentile to invent an industry-specific local rate.
Which related roles have a different BLS occupation?
A supervisory occupation is not an experience percentile for the craft. Compare the actual responsibilities and the published SOC.
Fire Protection Foreman (47-1011)Low Voltage Foreman (47-1011)Fire Protection Superintendent (11-9021)Which metros publish the highest and lowest medians?
This ranking uses the May 2025 annual median for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers. It is not adjusted for living costs. A metro is a BLS statistical area, not just the city limits. Top-coded or suppressed medians are not ranked.
| Metro | Median | Employment | Location quotient | Trade median / all-occupations median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $81,980 | 320 | 0.5 | 0.98 |
| Salem, OR | $81,500 | 70 | 0.69 | 1.47 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $81,340 | 30 | 0.78 | 1.41 |
| Worcester, MA | $80,480 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 1.39 |
| Anchorage, AK | $79,870 | 100 | 1.02 | 1.33 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $79,350 | 1,030 | 0.78 | 1.07 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $78,560 | 1,330 | 0.89 | 1.18 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $76,630 | 730 | 1.08 | 1.26 |
| Vallejo, CA | $76,390 | 70 | 0.92 | 1.30 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $75,910 | 1,000 | 0.87 | 1.05 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $46,450 | 60 | 0.84 | 1.02 |
| Wilmington, NC | $46,260 | 190 | 1.77 | 1.01 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $45,740 | 40 | 0.33 | 0.99 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $45,210 | 150 | 0.9 | 1.26 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | $45,190 | 60 | 1.19 | 1.14 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $44,610 | 50 | 0.62 | 1.22 |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | $41,660 | 60 | 1.17 | 0.92 |
| Laredo, TX | $39,800 | 50 | 0.88 | 1.07 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | $36,460 | 70 | 2.07 | 0.84 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $29,490 | 490 | 1.28 | 1.00 |
The wage ratio is simple arithmetic: this occupation's median divided by the all-occupations median in the same area and unit. It is not a cost-of-living measure. Location quotient describes the concentration of employment, not relative pay. Neither predicts what a particular candidate will accept.
What do these published wages mean for an offer?
Skilled Trades Headhunters reads the May 2025 figures for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) as an offer reference, not a quote for a particular candidate. For Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician), the published median for SOC 49-2098, Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers, is $60,070 per year. The middle half of the Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) wage distribution runs from $47,820 to $73,690, a width of $25,870 per year; that spread shows how much published pay varies within the occupation and area, without assigning experience levels.
For the national Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) comparison used for Fire Alarm Lead Technician, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports $59,280 per year while Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX reports $57,930 per year; these are the largest-employment metros with published medians for the occupation, rather than neighboring places to a national estimate. The United States Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician pools markets with different work scopes and schedules, so use the area table before setting a local offer.
The highest published medians among the selected national industry rows for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers, read alongside Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician), are Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services at $95,190 per year (NAICS 541300); Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing at $91,330 per year (NAICS 334500); Scientific Research and Development Services at $87,580 per year (NAICS 541700). Those Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) industry comparisons are national cross-sections, not local industry estimates; BLS does not give us a metro-by-industry wage cut here, and overlapping industry groups should not be added together.
The Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) median was $59,300 per year in May 2024, compared with $60,070 in May 2025, a published difference of $770. That Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) comparison is between separate BLS releases, not the raise paid to the same workers or a projection of next year's offer. Read the $59,300 and $60,070 Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) estimates with both dates visible, because the employers and workers represented by the survey can change.
Before using $60,070 per year from Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) to calibrate an offer, separate on-call duties, overtime, travel reimbursement, tool replacement and any truck allowance separately; prevailing wage and union requirements must be checked against the actual assignment. The Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) BLS comparison measures straight-time gross wages, including commissions and production bonuses, but excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. A candidate's take-home pay and the employer's total cost for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) can therefore differ from the median without either number being an error.
The mapping for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) is broader: BLS groups Fire Alarm Lead Technician within Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately. For a Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) opening, establish the equipment, license requirements and responsibility before deciding which people the pay range should attract. A broader occupation can combine jobs that a Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) buyer would screen separately, which is why the badge and SOC remain beside the figures.
Questions about this occupation and area
What does the middle-half band tell a Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) buyer?
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) has a published middle-half band of $47,820 to $73,690, a width of $25,870 per year, with median $60,070. An offer inside that Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) band is not automatically competitive for every scope; match the required work and the separate pay terms first.
Which areas should I compare before hiring Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician)?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX are the largest-employment comparison markets used for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician). Comparing those Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers tables with the $60,070 Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) median does not measure commuting costs or predict what a particular applicant will accept.
Are the industry figures local to Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician)?
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) uses national industry rows for SOC 49-2098, not local sector-specific wages. Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services leads the selected sortable rows at $95,190 per year, but that national industry figure is not a quoted offer for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician).
What changed between the releases for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician)?
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) moved from $59,300 in May 2024 to $60,070 in May 2025. These Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (SOC 49-2098) in National (reference for Fire Alarm Lead Technician) published medians do not describe an individual raise or establish a future wage trend.
What changed since May 2024
SOC 49-2098. Published annual median: $59,300 (May 2024) and $60,070 (May 2025). These are two BLS releases, not a projection.