How to hire an information technology security manager

How to hire an information technology security manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step information technology security manager hiring guide:

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

What does an information technology security manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an information technology security manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 information technology security manager 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of information technology security managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Information Technology Security Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Information Technology Security Manager	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.	$43-81
   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
   Securities Analyst	Securities analysts, also known as financial analysts, are responsible for collecting and interpreting data on securities, economies, corporate strategies, and financial markets. They provide clients with recommendations on investments based on in-depth research... Show more	$28-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • NIST
   • Risk Management
   • Project Management
   • Risk Assessments
   • Incident Response
   • ISO
   • HIPAA
   • Governance
   • Security Program
   • Vulnerability Management
   • Access Management
   • Security Operations
   • SIEM
   • Network Security

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and represent RMFMC when dealing with patients and employees regarding matters of breach of privacy and / or HIPAA violations.
   • Manage CoBIT compliance and control self-assessment program to identify control deficiencies.
   • Manage the conversion to a hybrid NAS/disk/tape CommVault base backup environment resulting in decreasing backup windows and improving recovery objectives.
   • Create and implement security controls (encryption, inventory management), policies and procedures to ensure HIPAA compliance.
   • Maintain the operation in conformity with ITIL standards and practices.
   • Assist NASA in its compliance with relevant security standards, including NIST and FISMA.

   More information technology security manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your information technology security manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An information technology security manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, information technology security managers' average salary in nebraska is 33% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level information technology security managers 46% less than senior-level information technology security managers.
   • Certifications. An information technology security manager 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 an information technology security manager's salary.

   Average information technology security manager salary

   $124,792yearly

   $60.00 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level information technology security manager salary

   $91,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average information technology security manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$149,217	$72
   2	New York	$128,899	$62
   3	New Jersey	$126,461	$61
   4	Arizona	$126,134	$61
   5	Connecticut	$125,584	$60
   6	Virginia	$118,107	$57
   7	District of Columbia	$117,408	$56
   8	Delaware	$117,339	$56
   9	Colorado	$115,572	$56
   10	Maryland	$114,454	$55
   11	Illinois	$112,930	$54
   12	Pennsylvania	$112,452	$54
   13	Missouri	$112,355	$54
   14	Michigan	$110,950	$53
   15	Wisconsin	$110,483	$53
   16	Oklahoma	$109,756	$53
   17	North Carolina	$108,351	$52
   18	Texas	$106,567	$51
   19	Florida	$106,362	$51
   20	Georgia	$105,497	$51

   Average information technology security manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PayPal	$155,532	$74.78	15
   2	IntelliDyne	$149,525	$71.89
   3	Amazon	$144,369	$69.41	377
   4	Ulta Beauty	$141,585	$68.07	7
   5	Boston Consulting Group	$140,272	$67.44	25
   6	Intuitive Surgical	$138,602	$66.64	2
   7	Sony Pictures	$137,764	$66.23	15
   8	The TJX Companies	$137,510	$66.11	9
   9	Robert Half	$133,334	$64.10	145
   10	MUFG EMEA	$133,216	$64.05
   11	J. Morrissey & Company	$133,172	$64.03	1
   12	J.P. Morgan	$132,588	$63.74
   13	Motorsport.com	$132,584	$63.74
   14	Fortinet	$132,261	$63.59	9
   15	OCC	$132,021	$63.47	5
   16	ServiceNow	$131,209	$63.08	20
   17	Randstad North America, Inc.	$130,539	$62.76	3
   18	Maryland Transportation Authority	$129,845	$62.43
   19	BorgWarner	$129,291	$62.16	4
   20	Honeywell	$129,175	$62.10	45

4. Writing an information technology security manager job description

   A good information technology security manager 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 an information technology security manager job description:

   Information technology security manager job description example

   Adaptive Solutions Group is a premier provider of information technology personnel. We provide a variety of technical professionals available for contract, contract to hire, or direct placement positions to companies in and around the Kansas City and St. Louis areas.
   We are currently looking for an IT Security Risk Management Manager to join our team.
   
   Responsibilities
   Maintain an environment where your employees feel included, valued, empowered, and supported. Be responsible for leading, developing and retaining a team of diverse security professionals. Maintain thorough understanding of the company’s security posture, capabilities, risk appetite and stakeholders. Oversee IT security risk management processes and activities. Manage security risks through identification, analysis, treatment, and ongoing governance. Partner with risk owners to influence remediation, overcome roadblocks, and navigate the risk governance processes. Serve as escalation point for the team, proactively addressing roadblocks and helping the team delivery high-quality results. Establish and maintain key performance metrics and monitor to ensure compliance of established standards, processes, and procedures. Prepare and deliver informal and formal presentations to various stakeholders. Protect our customers, our employees, and our brands by incorporating security and compliance in all decisions and daily job responsibilities, following security policies and procedures.
   
   Required Qualifications
   Must be presently authorized to work in the U.S. without a requirement for work authorization sponsorship by our company for this position now or in the future 6+ years of related experience (can include any combination of experience in Information Technology, Information Security, and/ or leadership) 2+ years of proven success in managing a technical team, to include performance management, team/ employee development, and hiring Demonstrable aptitude for leadership, collaboration, and relationship management Understanding of security frameworks such as ISO 27001/2, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and NIST Thorough understanding of the differences between vulnerabilities, threats and controls Exceptional communication and presentation skills Strong time management and organization skills, partnered with strong attention to detail Proactive, with the ability to be flexible and adaptable to changing requirements/ responsibilities, and deliver high quality results Must be able to work independently with a sense of ownership to accomplish department and project tasks Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality Must be committed to incorporating security into all decisions and daily job responsibilities
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, Management Information Systems, or related field preferred CISSP, CISM or CISA certifications
   
   Adaptive Solutions Group offers a competitive compensation and benefits package that includes medical, dental, STD/LTD, life insurance coverage, 401k, paid vacation and holidays.
   
   Adaptive Solutions Group is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and veteran or disability status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right information technology security manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   To find information technology security manager candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting information technology security managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with an information technology security manager applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and 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 information technology security manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect information technology security manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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 information technology security manager. 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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How much does it cost to hire an information technology security manager?