Short answer: A low-voltage electrician installs and services the power-limited systems in a building: network cabling, access control, cameras, fire alarm, audio-visual and building controls. Licensing is often separate from line-voltage work: in Texas, TDLR exempts these circuits, while DPS licenses alarm and camera installers and the State Fire Marshal licenses fire alarm work.
Part of the electrician career path: every route, every skill and the Texas license steps in one place.
On this page
Contents
What counts as low-voltage work
"Low voltage" is a job-site name, not one code category. On the job it means the systems that carry signals and small amounts of power, as opposed to the 120 V and higher circuits that feed lights, receptacles and machines.
In the U.S. National Electrical Code (NEC), most of this work sits in two places: Chapter 7, which covers power-limited circuits and fire alarm systems (Article 760), and Chapter 8, which covers communications systems. You can read the NEC free online through NFPA’s free access page.
Two things stay true on every low-voltage job:
- The power supply is still line voltage. The 120 V circuit that feeds an access control panel, a fire alarm panel or a network rack is ordinary electrical work.
- Low voltage is not the same as no risk. Batteries, power supplies and the equipment rooms around you can still hurt you or the system.
The systems you will work on
The union training program for this trade, the Telecommunication Installer-Technician apprenticeship of the electrical training ALLIANCE (the IBEW and NECA joint program), lists the work this way (electrical training ALLIANCE):
- Structured cabling. Copper and fiber-optic cable for voice, data and video, from the entrance facility to telecom rooms to each workstation, then terminated, tested and certified.
- Networks. Local area network cabling, racks, patch panels and cross connects.
- Security and access control. Card readers, door hardware controllers, intrusion alarms and cameras.
- Sound and communications. Paging, audio-visual systems and intercoms.
- Building systems. Life safety, energy management and lighting controls.
Fire alarm is part of this world too, but in some states it has its own license. Texas is one of them (see below).
Power, signal, network, configuration: the four-layer way to troubleshoot
Most low-voltage problems come from one of four layers. Check them in this order and you will solve most calls faster:
- Power. Is the device getting the voltage it needs? Check the power supply, the fuse, the battery and the PoE switch port.
- Signal. Is the cable path good? Check terminations, continuity, polarity and any splices. A cable tester or certifier answers this, not guesswork.
- Network. Can the device talk? Check link lights, the switch port, the VLAN and the IP address.
- Configuration. Is the device set up right? Check its settings, firmware, schedules and user permissions.
Write down what you checked at each layer. The next technician, or you next month, will thank you.
Licensing in Texas: which work needs which license
Local rule: low-voltage licensing is set by each state and often by each city. Here is how it works in Texas.
| Work | Who licenses it in Texas | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1, 2 and 3 remote control, signaling and power-limited circuits, fire alarm circuits, optical fiber and communications circuits, including raceways | Not required to hold a TDLR electrician license | Occupations Code 1305.003(a)(12), listed on TDLR’s exemptions page |
| Intrusion alarms, access control, and camera systems that record images or are watched by security staff | Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program: alarm systems installer or electronic access control device installer, working for a licensed company | Occupations Code 1702.002, 1702.221, 1702.223 and 1702.2226 |
| Fire alarm and fire detection systems | Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office: fire alarm technician and related licenses, working for a registered firm | Insurance Code 6002.151 and 6002.154 |
| The 120 V or higher circuit that powers the system | TDLR electrician license, working for a licensed electrical contractor | Occupations Code 1305.151 |
Points that trip people up:
- Cities can still regulate. TDLR notes that municipal or regional rules may override the state exemptions (TDLR). Austin, for example, updated its low-voltage permit exemption when it adopted the 2026 NEC (City of Austin).
- Cameras count as alarm systems in Texas when they record or archive images, or are monitored by security staff (Occupations Code 1702.002).
- An access control license does not cover alarms. A licensed electronic access control device installer may not install alarm systems without also holding the alarm systems installer license, while an alarm systems installer may install access control devices (Occupations Code 1702.2226 and 1702.223).
- Telecom provider equipment is separate. Work on communications equipment provided by a telecommunications provider is also exempt from the electrician license (Occupations Code 1305.003(a)(4)).
Pay and job titles
BLS has no single occupation called low-voltage electrician. The work is counted under three occupations. Median base pay in the United States, May 2025:
| BLS occupation | Code | Median annual base pay | People employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers | 49-2022 | $63,890 | 140,920 |
| Electricians | 47-2111 | $63,190 | 757,220 |
| Security and fire alarm systems installers | 49-2098 | $60,070 | 86,340 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, read through the BLS Public Data API. These are straight-time wages; overtime and shift differentials are not included (BLS OEWS technical notes).
Job titles you will see in postings: low-voltage technician, structured cabling installer, security technician, access control technician, fire alarm technician, AV technician, and installer-technician on union jobs.
How to start
- Union apprenticeship. The electrical training ALLIANCE runs the Telecommunication VDV (voice, data, video) Installer-Technician program alongside its inside wireman program (electrical training ALLIANCE). Installer-technicians work beside the inside wiremen, pulling and terminating the cabling while the wiremen run conduit and power (electrical training ALLIANCE).
- Get hired as a helper. Many cabling and security contractors train new hires on the job.
- Add a cabling certification. BICSI Installer 1 needs no experience; Installer 2 (copper or optical fiber) and Technician follow (BICSI).
- In Texas, get the right state license before you work on alarms, cameras or access control (DPS), or fire alarm (State Fire Marshal), as shown in the table above.
- Keep the door open to a full electrician license. Low-voltage experience pairs well with an apprentice license if you later want line-voltage work or data center jobs. See what a data center electrician does.
First-year skills list
- Safe work around energized equipment rooms, and lockout of the power supply you are about to work on.
- Reading floor plans, riser diagrams and cable schedules.
- Pulling cable without damage: bend radius, pull tension and support.
- Terminating copper jacks and patch panels, and fiber connectors.
- Testing and labeling every cable, and saving the results.
- Basic networking: IP addresses, switch ports, VLANs and PoE.
- The four-layer troubleshooting order above.
This skill sits at the start of the Systems route on our career path: see the low-voltage systems overview node, and how it compares with other paths in types of electrical careers.
Next step on the career path
- See the low-voltage skill on the Systems route, with what it unlocks
- Practice Texas Journeyman questions on special occupancies and equipment
- Every Texas electrician license type, side by side
- Data center electrician: the work, pay and how to get in
- Try 20 free Texas Journeyman practice questions
FAQ
Do you need a license to do low-voltage work in Texas?
Not a TDLR electrician license for Class 1, 2 and 3 circuits, fire alarm circuits, optical fiber and communications circuits. But alarm, access control and most security camera work needs a DPS Private Security license, fire alarm work needs a State Fire Marshal license, and cities can add their own rules.
How much does a low-voltage technician make?
In May 2025, BLS median base pay was $63,890 for telecommunications equipment installers and repairers and $60,070 for security and fire alarm systems installers. Electricians earned a median of $63,190. Overtime is not included.
What is the difference between a low-voltage electrician and an electrician?
An electrician works on the line-voltage circuits that power a building. A low-voltage electrician works on signal and power-limited systems such as cabling, security, fire alarm and AV. The two often work side by side, and many people hold credentials for both.
What is considered low-voltage work?
On the job it means systems that carry signals and small amounts of power: structured cabling, networks, security, access control, cameras, fire alarm, sound and building controls. In the NEC most of these are in Chapter 7 (power-limited circuits and fire alarm) and Chapter 8 (communications).
How do I become a low-voltage electrician?
Start through a union installer-technician apprenticeship, or get hired as a helper by a cabling or security contractor. Add a BICSI Installer 1 certification, which needs no experience, and get the state license your work requires, such as the DPS alarm license in Texas.
Is low-voltage work a good career?
It suits people who like both hands-on work and technology. Pay for the three BLS occupations that cover it was close to the electrician median in May 2025, and the skills carry over to data centers, security and building automation.
Sources
- Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1305 (Electricians), Sections 1305.003 and 1305.151, read October 3, 2026
- Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1702 (Private Security), Sections 1702.002, 1702.221, 1702.223 and 1702.2226, read October 3, 2026
- Texas Insurance Code Chapter 6002 (Fire Detection and Alarm Device Installation), Sections 6002.151 and 6002.154, read October 3, 2026
- TDLR: Exemptions to Electrician Licensing, read October 3, 2026
- City of Austin: 2026 National Electrical Code, Council backup, April 23, 2026, read October 3, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national series for occupations 49-2022, 47-2111 and 49-2098, read through the BLS Public Data API October 3, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS technical notes, read October 3, 2026
- electrical training ALLIANCE: Installer Technician and About Us, read October 3, 2026
- BICSI: Cable Installer Certification, read October 3, 2026
- NFPA: Free access to NFPA codes and standards, checked October 3, 2026
