How much do fire alarm technicians make in 2026?
Fire alarm technicians are counted in the BLS security and fire alarm systems installers series: OEWS May 2025 puts the SOC 49-2098 national median at $60,070 a year ($28.88 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $38,800 and the top 10% at $81,150. The series pools fire alarm work with general security installation, and fire alarm generally sits in its upper half because it is life-safety work under code. Two things drive that. First, systems must be inspected and tested on mandated schedules and the results certified, which creates recurring, non-discretionary work that survives economic cycles. Second, most jurisdictions require licensing or NICET certification to design, install, inspect or sign off systems, so the labour pool is limited by credential rather than by aptitude. Programming addressable panels and commissioning voice evacuation systems is where the specialist premium sits. Employment is projected to grow 10.4% through 2034 with roughly 9,400 openings a year. → Full fire alarm technician career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $60,070 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Fire Alarm Technicians earn a national median $60,070/yr ($28.88/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-2098); the P10 to P90 range is $38,800 to $81,150.
- BLS pools fire alarm with security installation in SOC 49-2098, so life-safety work sits in the upper half of the $38,800 to $81,150 band.
- Mandated periodic inspection and testing creates recurring work that does not depend on new construction, which makes this one of the steadier low-voltage specialisms.
- Licensing and NICET certification levels control who can install, inspect and certify systems, so credentials rather than experience alone set the pay ladder.
US Fire Alarm Technician Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do fire alarm technicians earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 49-2098; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-2098, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a fire alarm technician earn at each career stage?
Fire alarm pay follows certification level and whether you can commission and certify systems. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 49-2098.
By State
Which states pay fire alarm technicians the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national median for the series scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Licensing is the decisive local factor: states differ in whether fire alarm work requires a specialty low-voltage licence, an electrical licence or NICET certification, and in what the authority having jurisdiction accepts for inspection sign-off. Adopted code editions also vary, which changes testing frequency and documentation requirements.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($69,080), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay fire alarm technicians the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median for the series scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a fire alarm technician’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does fire alarm technician pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Fire Alarm Technicians sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify fire alarm technician wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a fire alarm technician actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Fire Alarm Technician Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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