Security Managers

11-3013.01 Zone 4 — Considerable Preparation Needed

Direct an organization's security functions, including physical security and safety of employees and facilities.

Also known as: Chief Security Officer (CSO), Cloud Security Manager, Corporate Physical Security Supervisor, Corporate Security Director, Corporate Security Manager, Global Security Manager, Industrial Security Specialist, Internal Security Manager, ...

Annual Salary

$104,690

Median annual wage (May 2024)

$80,150 25th – 75th percentile $135,650
10th percentile $62,550
90th percentile $173,080
U.S. Employment: 141,090

Job Outlook

+3.8%

Projected growth, 2024–2034 (About average)

Annual Job Openings 13,200 per year (avg. 2024–2034)
Typical education: Bachelor's degree
Experience: Less than 5 years

What You'd Do

  • Analyze and evaluate security operations to identify risks or opportunities for improvement through auditing, review, or assessment.
  • Assess risks to mitigate potential consequences of incidents and develop a plan to respond to incidents.
  • Attend meetings, professional seminars, or conferences to keep abreast of changes in executive legislative directives or new technologies impacting security operations.
  • Communicate security status, updates, and actual or potential problems, using established protocols.
  • Conduct physical examinations of property to ensure compliance with security policies and regulations.
  • Conduct threat or vulnerability analyses to determine probable frequency, criticality, consequence, or severity of natural or man-made disasters or criminal activity on the organization's profitability or delivery of products or services.
  • Coordinate security operations or activities with public law enforcement, fire and other agencies.
  • Create or implement security standards, policies, and procedures.
  • Develop budgets for security operations.
  • Develop or manage investigation programs, including collection and preservation of video and notes of surveillance processes or investigative interviews.

Top Skills

Critical Thinking 4.3
Reading Comprehension 4.1
Active Listening 4.1
Judgment and Decision Making 4.1
Speaking 4.0
Complex Problem Solving 4.0
Monitoring 4.0
Social Perceptiveness 4.0

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Knowledge Areas

Public Safety and Security 4.9
English Language 4.3
Law and Government 4.2
Administration and Management 4.2
Customer and Personal Service 4.1
Personnel and Human Resources 3.8
Education and Training 3.7
Computers and Electronics 3.5

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level

Bachelor's
70%
Master's
15%
Associate's
10%
Certificate
5%

Technology & Tools

Software and tools commonly used in this role

In-Demand Technologies

Amazon Web Services AWS software Facebook Microsoft Access Microsoft Azure software Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Project Microsoft Visio Microsoft Word Oracle PeopleSoft SAP software

Other Tools

Alarm system software Corel WordPerfect Office Suite Emergency notification system software FieldSoft AIMSonScene Firewall software Graphics software Human resources management system HRMS Incident command system ICS software Inventory tracking software Maintenance management software Mapping software McAfee NortonLifeLock cybersecurity software Operating system software Payroll software +2 more

Work Styles

Personality traits and work styles important for this career

3.0
Cautiousness
2.9
Integrity
2.9
Dependability
2.6
Attention to Detail
2.5
Leadership Orientation
2.4
Self-Control
2.2
Stress Tolerance

Key Abilities

Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role

Problem Sensitivity 4.5
Oral Expression 4.3
Oral Comprehension 4.1
Written Comprehension 4.1
Deductive Reasoning 4.1
Inductive Reasoning 4.1
Written Expression 4.0
Fluency of Ideas 3.9

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Work Activities

General types of job behaviors occurring on this job

Making Decisions and Solving Problems 4.7
Getting Information 4.5
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates 4.5
Developing and Building Teams 4.4
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships 4.4
Coaching and Developing Others 4.3
Working with Computers 4.3
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards 4.3

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Work Environment

Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work

E-Mail
5.0
Telephone Conversations
4.9
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
4.7
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
4.6
Contact With Others
4.5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
4.4
Freedom to Make Decisions
4.3
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
4.2
Health and Safety of Other Workers
4.1
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
4.1
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
4.0
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
3.9

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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.