Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers Salary
The median pay for a security and fire alarm systems installers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is $66,080/year ($31.77/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $133K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $60,127 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 97.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Cruz-Watsonville’s Regional Price Parity (109.9). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About security and fire alarm systems installers
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What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Security and fire alarm systems installers pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville tracks closely to the national median, $66K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 96.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.9), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for security and fire alarm systems installers in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $72K | $63K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $79K | $69K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $65K | $61K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $71K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Entry-level security and fire alarm systems installers (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $133K or more, a $85K spread from bottom to top.
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $80K | +33% | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +31% | 1,690 |
| Rhode Island | $76K | +27% | 240 |
| Oregon | $76K | +26% | 950 |
| Connecticut | $75K | +26% | 540 |
| Washington | $73K | +21% | 1,670 |
| California | $72K | +19% | 8,180 |
| Maryland | $65K | +9% | 2,230 |
| Maine | $64K | +7% | 240 |
| Iowa | $64K | +6% | 480 |
| New Jersey | $63K | +5% | 2,740 |
| Hawaii | $63K | +5% | 380 |
| Minnesota | $62K | +4% | 770 |
| Colorado | $62K | +4% | 1,950 |
| Ohio | $62K | +3% | 2,440 |
| New Hampshire | $62K | +2% | 500 |
| Kansas | $61K | +2% | 740 |
| Utah | $61K | +2% | 980 |
| Wisconsin | $61K | +2% | 770 |
| Nevada | $61K | +2% | 1,170 |
| Virginia | $61K | +1% | 2,130 |
| Alabama | $61K | +1% | 1,350 |
| Kentucky | $61K | +1% | 1,080 |
| Vermont | $60K | +0% | 110 |
| Florida | $60K | +0% | 8,320 |
| Wyoming | $60K | -0% | 150 |
| Illinois | $60K | -0% | 2,180 |
| South Carolina | $60K | -1% | 1,050 |
| Delaware | $60K | -1% | 160 |
| Arizona | $60K | -1% | 2,040 |
| Pennsylvania | $60K | -1% | 2,650 |
| Montana | $59K | -2% | 190 |
| New York | $59K | -3% | 6,620 |
| District of Columbia | $58K | -3% | 210 |
| New Mexico | $58K | -3% | 630 |
| Indiana | $58K | -3% | 1,930 |
| North Dakota | $58K | -4% | 150 |
| Michigan | $56K | -7% | 2,060 |
| South Dakota | $56K | -7% | 220 |
| Louisiana | $55K | -9% | 1,170 |
| Missouri | $55K | -9% | 1,790 |
| North Carolina | $54K | -10% | 2,880 |
| Georgia | $53K | -12% | 2,220 |
| Texas | $52K | -13% | 10,260 |
| Tennessee | $51K | -14% | 2,520 |
| West Virginia | $51K | -15% | 260 |
| Idaho | $49K | -18% | 340 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -19% | 620 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -20% | 1,340 |
| Nebraska | $48K | -20% | 490 |
| Mississippi | $47K | -21% | 440 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track security and fire alarm systems installers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a security and fire alarm systems installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 96.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $4,214/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for security and fire alarm systems installers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new security and fire alarm systems installers typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,929/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 144% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is security and fire alarm systems installer a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $66K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville compare to the national average for security and fire alarm systems installers?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do security and fire alarm systems installers make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $66,080 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,820, and experienced security and fire alarm systems installers can clear $133,490. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,374/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 96.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a security and fire alarm systems installers salary go in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville has a Regional Price Parity of 109.9 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median security and fire alarm systems installers salary is worth about $60,127 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do security and fire alarm systems installers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.