Security Industry Jobs Have Outpaced Private Sector
The electronic security sector saw employment and wages grow faster than the national average since 2001.
Updated on Sept. 26, 2026 in Employment
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The Electronic Security Association has released its inaugural Industry Performance Index, highlighting significant growth in the sector. Employment in security services reached 141,000 in 2025, up from 86,000 in 2001.
Why it matters
This initiative provides industry-specific economic intelligence for the security sector. It serves to measure how security services perform relative to the broader private-sector economy.
The sector reached 141,000 employees by 2025, with annualized wages hitting $93,000. These figures are analyzed against a compound annual growth rate of 2% in employment and 1.85% in real wages over the past 25 years.
The players
Electronic Security Association
This is a trade association that represents the electronic security and life safety industry in the United States.
Beacon Economics
This is an independent economic forecasting and consulting firm that provides data analysis and research services.
The details
The report, created in partnership with forecasting firm Beacon Economics, tracks data from 2001 to 2025. It shows that the industry added between 3,000 and 5,000 jobs annually through 2022.
Timeline
Employment reached 86,000 workers in 2001.
Industry employment and wages were analyzed over the 2001-2025 period.
Annual job additions reached 3,000 to 5,000 through 2022.
Industry employment reached 141,000 workers in 2025.
The inaugural report was published on September 26, 2026.
Macro View
This performance index mirrors long-term shifts seen in the Bureau of Labor Statistics private-sector employment growth rates. The report highlights how specialized service sectors have outperformed broader economic trends over the last two decades.
The data suggests sustained demand for workers in the security sector, which may point to stable job opportunities in this field. For those currently employed in the industry, the findings underscore higher-than-average real wage growth compared to the general private sector.
The takeaway
The electronic security sector has proven to be a high-growth field with wage trajectories exceeding the national private-sector average. Readers interested in career stability might consider the long-term historical performance metrics as an indicator of industry health.
Further reading
For broader trends in the labor market, read more in United States Employment.
More information
You can access the Industry Performance Index report download on the organization website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Security Systems News magazine.
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Do you expect specialized industry wages to continue growing faster than the broader private sector?
