Operational security specialist vs specialist

The differences between operational security specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a specialist has an average salary of $58,013, which is higher than the $42,159 average annual salary of an operational security specialist.

The top three skills for an operational security specialist include customer service, security operations and patrol. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.

Operational security specialist vs specialist overview

	Operational Security Specialist	Specialist
Yearly salary	$42,159	$58,013
Hourly rate	$20.27	$27.89
Growth rate	3%	10%
Number of jobs	87,810	358,433
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	43	42
Years of experience	-	2

What does an operational security specialist do?

An operational security specialist performs administrative and clerical duties. You will be responsible for creating, implementing, and managing a security awareness program to address security issues. Other duties include providing support on security clearance and management, ensuring that test participants and visitors have security clearance integrity, and providing recommendations on critical security policy decisions. In addition, an operational security specialist is responsible for analyzing vulnerabilities and threats to the system and operational environments and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and security procedures.

What does a specialist do?

Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.

Operational security specialist vs specialist salary

Operational security specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Operational Security Specialist	Specialist
Average salary	$42,159	$58,013
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $65,000	Between $32,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Jersey City, NJ
Highest paying state	Alaska	New Jersey
Best paying company	U.S. Bank	The Citadel
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between operational security specialist and specialist education

There are a few differences between an operational security specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:

	Operational Security Specialist	Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Stanford University

Operational security specialist vs specialist demographics

Here are the differences between operational security specialists' and specialists' demographics:

	Operational Security Specialist	Specialist
Average age	43	42
Gender ratio	Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3%	Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 5.9% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	6%	11%

Differences between operational security specialist and specialist duties and responsibilities

Operational security specialist example responsibilities.

Perform administrative duties including managing PowerPoint slides used for training.
Perform CCTV audits and review camera recordings for investigations.
Monitor entire facility using CCTV while simultaneously performing dispatch duties.
Maintain weapons proficiency and qualification as a function of normal security patrol and protection duties.
Experience working directly for commanding officers and making security recommendations to ensure the security of overall DOD operations in the area.
Provide personal protection for dignitaries and VIP guests while maintaining confidentiality.

Specialist example responsibilities.

Create, manage, and assist users with SharePoint sites.
Manage an on-site IRB and company good clinical practice (GCP) inspection.
Manage SharePoint sites by creating, editing, and customizing company sites, libraries and security.
Manage the building of accounts, assigning of static IP's, and scheduling of business class installations.
Convert servers from UNIX to Linux, all hardware diagnostics and repair including printers/plotters/desktops etc.
Follow safety procedures such as maintenance of all equipment (Telxon scanners, terminals and ladders).

Operational security specialist vs specialist skills

Common operational security specialist skills

Customer Service, 15%
Security Operations, 13%
Patrol, 10%
Emergency Situations, 6%
Emergency Response, 5%
Security Procedures, 4%

Common specialist skills

Patients, 15%
Customer Service, 11%
Work Ethic, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Exceptional Client, 4%
Troubleshoot, 4%

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Protective Service Industry
Operational Security Specialist
Operational Security Specialist vs Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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