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Business & Finance

Security Management Specialists

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$83,050

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$48k – $150k

Job outlook

+3% (about average)

AI exposure

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports one wage for this occupational group, which covers 4 related roles — so read the median as an approximate group figure, and the range as the truer picture for this specific title. BLS source.

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $112,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Security Management Specialists

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Plan my path to this →

Typical progression

  1. Security Management Specialists Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Security Management Specialists

    Entry / Junior

    $47,880

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Security Management Specialists

    Established

    $83,050

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Security Management Specialists

    Senior

    $116,530

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • Assess the nature and level of physical security threats so that the scope of the problem can be determined.
  • Respond to emergency situations on an on-call basis.
  • Recommend improvements in security systems or procedures.
  • Perform risk analyses so that appropriate countermeasures can be developed.
  • Inspect physical security design features, installations, or programs to ensure compliance with applicable standards or regulations.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Business & Finance

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.