How to hire a computer security specialist

How to hire a computer security specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step computer security specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a computer security specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new computer security specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the computer security specialist you need to hire. Certain computer security specialist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect computer security specialist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents computer security specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Computer Security Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Computer Security Specialist	Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems. Their responsibilities are continually expanding as the number of cyberattacks increases.	$34-67
   Information Assurance Engineer	Information assurance engineers are responsible for protecting an organization's data. They act as a team of security specialists that use their skill in securely operating and keeping data to protect the organization's most essential asset... Show more	$32-56
   Securities Consultant	A securities consultant is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the company's premises, including enforcing protection for all the employees and company assets. Securities consultants also handle the confidentiality and stability of data network systems to prevent potential breaches and unauthorized access to information... Show more	$34-55

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • ACAS
   • FISMA
   • DOD
   • Security Policies
   • Linux
   • Incident Response
   • Unix
   • Network Security
   • System Administration
   • Customer Service
   • ISSO
   • PKI
   • Disa
   • POA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Review and manage the security and information assurance capabilities of database applications, database structure and architecture.
   • Perform monthly IA evaluation of systems per DISA STIG guidance using approve DoD & DISA tools.
   • Conduct audits, analyze system security incidents, and recommend remediation efforts to meet DoD standards.
   • Evaluate, implement, and maintain encryption standards.
   • Perform data encryption testing for a proprietary encryption key that encrypt data at rest on platforms.
   • Perform Nessus vulnerability scans of critical enterprise servers and devices; report results to management.

   More computer security specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your computer security specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A computer security specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, computer security specialists' average salary in florida is 39% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level computer security specialists 49% less than senior-level computer security specialists.
   • Certifications. A computer security specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a computer security specialist's salary.

   Average computer security specialist salary

   $100,909yearly

   $48.51 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level computer security specialist salary

   $72,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average computer security specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$129,855	$62
   2	Washington	$119,669	$58
   3	New York	$110,826	$53
   4	Massachusetts	$100,082	$48
   5	Connecticut	$97,898	$47
   6	Virginia	$97,473	$47
   7	Illinois	$94,111	$45
   8	New Jersey	$93,995	$45
   9	Maryland	$93,913	$45
   10	Texas	$93,796	$45
   11	North Carolina	$93,330	$45
   12	Delaware	$91,977	$44
   13	Michigan	$90,914	$44
   14	District of Columbia	$89,018	$43
   15	Georgia	$88,069	$42
   16	Colorado	$85,541	$41
   17	New Hampshire	$82,926	$40
   18	Hawaii	$77,659	$37
   19	Missouri	$76,088	$37
   20	Florida	$69,488	$33

   Average computer security specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$134,897	$64.85	51
   2	Citi	$126,728	$60.93	7
   3	Ernst & Young	$124,123	$59.67	32
   4	Pwc	$122,402	$58.85	21
   5	Forest Pharmaceuticals Inc	$120,637	$58.00
   6	BLTI	$116,040	$55.79
   7	Populus Group	$107,899	$51.87
   8	Reva Consulting	$106,318	$51.11
   9	Swift Denim Services Inc	$101,134	$48.62	3
   10	EMC	$100,839	$48.48
   11	Front	$99,597	$47.88
   12	Oracle	$95,851	$46.08	876
   13	Osi, LLC	$95,730	$46.02
   14	Deloitte	$95,382	$45.86	764
   15	McAfee	$95,320	$45.83
   16	KPMG LLP	$94,910	$45.63	81
   17	Fermi Research Alliance	$92,214	$44.33
   18	Multivision	$90,838	$43.67
   19	Tech Mahindra	$90,774	$43.64
   20	ISEC	$89,801	$43.17

4. Writing a computer security specialist job description

   A good computer security specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a computer security specialist job description:

   Computer security specialist job description example

   NextGen Federal Systems is seeking an experienced Computer Security Specialist to support an Army customer.
   Responsibilities
   
   + Provide security engineering analysis on a variety of information systems
   
   + Perform security certification engineering analysis, vulnerability assessments, and risk assessments
   
   + Design and configure security tools
   
   + Develop test procedures
   
   + Establish test environments
   
   + Execute security certification test/demonstrations/evaluations
   
   + Document results and develope reports, conclusions, and recommendations
   
   + Conceptualize and implement security systems and architectures
   
   Qualifications
   
   + Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, or other technical discipline
   
   + 4 years of experience in Information Security within the last 10 years
   
   + IA Technical Level II certification (GSEC, Security+, SCNP or SSCP)
   
   + Computing Environment certification for the applicable Operating System (i.e. Microsoft Server 2012 or Database SQL)
   
   + Experience in TCP/IP, information security/authorization profiles, or security administration of Unix or Windows network/systems
   
   + Knowledge of Government security policies and familiarity with security-related technologies and auditing tools
   
   About NextGen:NextGen Federal Systems is an innovative technology and professional services provider specializing in advanced software solutions and comprehensive mission and business support services. We work in close collaboration with our Customers to truly understand their business and mission goals. Our approach is to design, build, implement, and manage solutions that measurably improve our client's organizational performance. We have established and foster a corporate culture where we:
   
   + Treat employees with fairness and respect regardless of their position, sexual identity, race, or tenure.
   
   + Communicate the importance of our mission and our employees' contributions to it, ensuring they understand how their job role contributes to the greater good.
   
   + Openly promote and communicate our ideas for change and adaptability.
   
   + Strive to achieve results as an organization.
   
   + Hold employees accountable to their commitments and provide incentives that encourage positive and productive behaviors.
   
   + Value the talents and contributions of our employees as the key factor for our success.
   
   + Create an environment where people can engage at all levels.
   
   + Encourage people to take risks and allow them to make mistakes.
   
   RefID: A01

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find computer security specialists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any computer security specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level computer security specialists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your computer security specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit computer security specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit computer security specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   If your interviews with computer security specialist applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new computer security specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the computer security specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new computer security specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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