Security Management Specialists

Law, Public Safety, Corrections and SecurityO*NET 13-1199.07United States

Conduct security assessments for organizations, and design security systems and processes. May specialize in areas such as physical security or the safety of employees and facilities.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$82,007

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
+7.6%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
Bachelor's degree

70% of the workforce

Employment
1.18M jobs

Growing to 1.27M by 2035

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Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

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The work

What security management specialists do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • Assess the nature and level of physical security threats so that the scope of the problem can be determined.
  • Recommend improvements in security systems or procedures.
  • Respond to emergency situations on an on-call basis.
  • Inspect physical security design features, installations, or programs to ensure compliance with applicable standards or regulations.
  • Perform risk analyses so that appropriate countermeasures can be developed.
  • Conduct security audits to identify potential vulnerabilities related to physical security or staff safety.
  • Design security policies, programs, or practices to ensure adequate security relating to alarm response, access card use, and other security needs.
  • Test security measures for final acceptance and implement or provide procedures for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the measures.
  • Design, implement, or establish requirements for security systems, video surveillance, motion detection, or closed-circuit television systems to ensure proper installation and operation.
  • Prepare, maintain, or update security procedures, security system drawings, or related documentation.
  • Develop conceptual designs of security systems.
  • Prepare documentation for case reports or court proceedings.
  • Train personnel in security procedures or use of security equipment.
  • Review design drawings or technical documents for completeness, correctness, or appropriateness.
  • Monitor the work of contractors in the design, construction, and startup phases of security systems.
  • Provide system design and integration recommendations.
  • Budget and schedule security design work.
  • Inspect fire, intruder detection, or other security systems.
  • Develop or review specifications for design or construction of security systems.
  • Interview witnesses or suspects to identify persons responsible for security breaches or to establish losses, pursue prosecutions, or obtain restitution.
  • Outline system security criteria for pre-bid meetings with clients and companies to ensure comprehensiveness and appropriateness for implementation.
  • Monitor tapes or digital recordings to identify the source of losses.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$46,745
25th percentile
$61,460
50th percentile
$82,007
75th percentile
$113,551
90th percentile
$152,829

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $82,007 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+7.6%faster than average
20251,180,498 jobs
2035 projected1,269,790 jobs

89,292 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Bachelor's degree
70%
Certificate
10%
Some college
10%
Master's or Professional degree
10%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Cyber Security
  • Governance
  • Incident Response
  • Auditing
  • Risk Management
  • Risk Analysis
  • Computer Science
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Cloud Security
  • Amazon Web Services
  • Automation
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act (HIPAA) Compliance
  • ISO/IEC 27001
  • Vulnerability Management
  • Cyber Risk
  • Security Controls
  • Identity And Access Management
  • Project Management
  • Information Privacy

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Operations Analysis
Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Cybersecurity Consultants373 postings
  2. 02Security Advisors96 postings
  3. 03AI Governance Cybersecurity Consultants93 postings
  4. 04Information Security Consultants92 postings
  5. 05Security Consultants89 postings
  6. 06Consultants86 postings
  7. 07Cybersecurity Analysts64 postings
  8. 08Endpoint Security Engineers55 postings
  9. 09Solutions Consultants49 postings
  10. 10Cyber Consultants48 postings
  11. 11Youth Ministers45 postings
  12. 12Cybersecurity Risk Analysts44 postings
  13. 13Data Protection Specialists43 postings
  14. 14Principal Consultants36 postings
  15. 15Delivery Consultants34 postings
  16. 16Servicenow Consultants33 postings
  17. 17Cybersecurity Associates29 postings
  18. 18Azure Consultants28 postings
  19. 19Cybersecurity Interns28 postings
  20. 20Information Security Officers26 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Deloitte135 postings
  2. 02Concentrix76 postings
  3. 03Nelnet70 postings
  4. 04Optiv Security57 postings
  5. 05Shi International Ltd55 postings
  6. 06IBM45 postings
  7. 07Crowe37 postings
  8. 08Guidehouse34 postings
  9. 09Amazon33 postings
  10. 10Ernst & Young33 postings
  11. 11Accenture31 postings
  12. 12Trellix30 postings
  13. 13Capital One29 postings
  14. 14Jobgether26 postings
  15. 15MITRE Corporation25 postings
  16. 16Google23 postings
  17. 17Highmark Health19 postings
  18. 18Truist Financial19 postings
  19. 19Aprio18 postings
  20. 20Baker Tilly17 postings

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