Security Managers: Career Overview
Direct an organization's security functions, including physical security and safety of employees and facilities.
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What Do Security Managers Do?
The core tasks performed by security managers span:
- Develop budgets for security operations.
- Identify, investigate, or resolve security breaches.
- Plan, direct, or coordinate security activities to safeguard company employees, guests, or others on company property.
- Direct or participate in emergency management and contingency planning.
- Respond to medical emergencies, bomb threats, fire alarms, or intrusion alarms, following emergency response procedures.
- Analyze and evaluate security operations to identify risks or opportunities for improvement through auditing, review, or assessment.
- Create or implement security standards, policies, and procedures.
- Assess risks to mitigate potential consequences of incidents and develop a plan to respond to incidents.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful security managers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Security Managers Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Chief Security Officer (CSO)
- Cloud Security Manager
- Corporate Physical Security Supervisor
- Corporate Security Director
- Corporate Security Manager
- Global Security Manager
- IS Security Manager (Information Systems Security Manager)
- Industrial Security Specialist
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 358,944 security managers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +0.6% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Security Managers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $104,128 |
| Hourly median | $50.06 |
| 10th percentile | $73,099 |
| 25th percentile | $88,614 |
| 75th percentile | $119,643 |
| 90th percentile | $135,157 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Security Managers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $130,300 |
| Delaware | $129,540 |
| New York | $128,050 |
| New Jersey | $123,010 |
| Massachusetts | $121,510 |
| Alabama | $119,330 |
| Colorado | $116,830 |
| District of Columbia | $115,710 |
| California | $115,700 |
| Virginia | $115,430 |
| Georgia | $115,030 |
| Wyoming | $109,570 |
| Kansas | $108,580 |
| Minnesota | $108,030 |
| Connecticut | $107,960 |
| Alaska | $107,190 |
| Texas | $105,340 |
| Wisconsin | $105,170 |
| New Mexico | $104,270 |
| Hawaii | $104,220 |
| Oregon | $103,740 |
| Illinois | $103,410 |
| Tennessee | $102,900 |
| New Hampshire | $102,280 |
| North Carolina | $102,120 |
| Rhode Island | $102,090 |
| Nebraska | $99,320 |
| South Dakota | $99,260 |
| Idaho | $99,140 |
| Michigan | $98,760 |
| Nevada | $97,860 |
| Iowa | $97,720 |
| Indiana | $97,700 |
| West Virginia | $97,650 |
| Missouri | $96,640 |
| Kentucky | $96,410 |
| South Carolina | $96,240 |
| Ohio | $96,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $95,430 |
| Arkansas | $95,210 |
| Maine | $95,020 |
| Oklahoma | $94,330 |
| Utah | $94,310 |
| Maryland | $93,590 |
| Arizona | $92,700 |
| Montana | $92,600 |
| Louisiana | $92,030 |
| Mississippi | $90,960 |
| Florida | $90,860 |
| Vermont | $88,190 |
| Virgin Islands | $87,990 |
| North Dakota | $84,400 |
| Puerto Rico | $75,000 |
| Guam | $63,800 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for security managers differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $114,887 | 18.6% | 1.16 |
| Middle Atlantic | $113,385 | 18.1% | 1.23 |
| New England | $113,230 | 7.5% | 1.61 |
| Rocky Mountains | $104,945 | 3.1% | 0.81 |
| Southwest | $102,242 | 11.1% | 0.92 |
| Plains States | $101,275 | 6.9% | 1.06 |
| Southeast | $100,638 | 17.8% | 0.74 |
| Great Lakes | $100,137 | 16.4% | 1.22 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $159,530 | 100 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $137,890 | 1,400 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | AL | $137,230 | 30 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $134,750 | 1,750 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $134,570 | 3,180 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | ID | $133,990 | 130 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | AL | $133,880 | 50 |
| Rome, GA | GA | $132,670 | 50 |
Which Industries Hire Security Managers
The bulk of security managers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 18,990 | $98,430 |
| Manufacturing | 17,210 | $125,640 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 15,780 | $96,470 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 9,670 | $97,620 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 8,350 | $122,240 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 8,120 | $91,050 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7,030 | $128,970 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 6,930 | $104,990 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Microsoft Azure software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of security managers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
How to Become Security Managers
Most security managers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Facilities Managers (Primary-Long)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers (Supplemental)
- Emergency Management Directors (Primary-Short)
- Compliance Managers (Primary-Short)
- Loss Prevention Managers (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Business Continuity Planners (Primary-Long)
- Security Management Specialists (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Future security managers typically earn programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
5 programs across 3 majors
Construction Trades
2 programs across 1 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
2 programs across 1 majors
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields
1 programs across 1 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness Studies, and Kinesiology
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-3013.01 (Facilities Managers).
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