Security and access control technicians install, configure, service, and repair electronic security systems: access control (card readers, electronic locks, door controllers), CCTV and video surveillance, intrusion and alarm systems, and intercoms, in commercial, institutional, and residential buildings. The work spans installation, meaning new systems, construction, and retrofits, and service, meaning maintenance, troubleshooting, and system upgrades. Demand is steady because security and access systems are widely deployed and require ongoing service.
How the official figures are classified
The Government of Canada classifies these roles under NOC 22311, Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment), the same broad group that includes other electronic-service roles. The wage band below is the authoritative government figure for that group. It covers the broader electronic-service-technician category, with the security-systems-technician occupation showing a national median wage of $26.50 per hour.
The official wage band
These are hourly low-to-high bands, not annual tiers. The national median is $26.50 per hour.
| Region | Hourly low to high |
|---|---|
| Canada (national) | $18.00 to $41.35 |
| Ontario | $18.75 to $40.00 |
| British Columbia | $19.60 to $43.00 |
Full provincial detail is on the pay by province page.
What moves pay
- Access control and networked, IP-based systems, the higher-skill core of the trade
- CCTV and IP video surveillance, including large multi-camera deployments
- Intrusion and alarm system experience across commercial and institutional sites
- Integration, tying access, video, and alarm into a single managed platform
- On call and emergency service rotations, where most overtime sits
Certification and licensing
Two separate things matter here, and they are easy to confuse.
Trade certification (voluntary). The typical path is a two- to three-year college program in electronics, a four-year apprenticeship in electronic servicing, or high-school and college electronics courses plus on-the-job training. Trade certification for electronics technicians is available but voluntary in Ontario, British Columbia, and Yukon.
Provincial security licensing (often required). Separately from trade certification, security and alarm work is a regulated activity in several provinces. A security worker or alarm installer licence from a provincial regulatory authority may be required before you can legally do the work, and this licensing can be compulsory depending on the province and the specific work. Trade certification is voluntary, but a provincial security or alarm installer licence is often required to work, so technicians should check their province's requirements.
The licence, not the trade certificate, is the gate in this field. Check your province early, because in several of them you cannot legally do security or alarm work without the provincial licence.
Sources: Job Bank Canada wage data (NOC 22311, updated November 19, 2025), Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey, and provincial security licensing authorities.
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