How to hire a personnel security specialist

How to hire a personnel security specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step personnel 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 personnel security specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new personnel security specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a personnel security specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The personnel security specialist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a personnel security specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a personnel security specialist that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of personnel security specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Personnel Security Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Personnel 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.	$23-59
   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:

   • SCI
   • JPAS
   • E-QIP
   • DOD
   • Personnel Security
   • Government Agencies
   • Pips
   • OPM
   • CFR
   • Investigative Reports
   • National Security
   • Background Checks
   • Data Entry
   • Security Policies

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Implement group policies to manage domain / PC / user security.
   • Manage servers to include Cisco ACS (access control server), and external DNS server.
   • Manage multiple security programs and systems in accordance with NISPOM, DCID, M1 and JAFAN guidance.
   • Support all the applications deploy through the F5 LTM along with the configuration and the managing role.
   • Develop and manage covert CCTV program to support corporate investigations.
   • Develop expert working knowledge of personnel security administration activities using JPAS and E-QIP.

   More personnel security specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, personnel security specialists' average salary in hawaii is 46% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level personnel security specialists 60% less than senior-level personnel security specialists.
   • Certifications. A personnel 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 personnel security specialist's salary.

   Average personnel security specialist salary

   $78,967yearly

   $37.96 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level personnel security specialist salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 1, 2026

   Average personnel security specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$106,543	$51
   2	New York	$98,721	$47
   3	District of Columbia	$96,644	$46
   4	Virginia	$94,455	$45
   5	Washington	$87,934	$42
   6	Maryland	$84,884	$41
   7	Ohio	$81,084	$39
   8	Texas	$78,269	$38
   9	Arizona	$77,773	$37
   10	Minnesota	$73,924	$36
   11	New Mexico	$70,289	$34
   12	Tennessee	$65,752	$32
   13	Indiana	$64,440	$31
   14	Colorado	$63,707	$31
   15	Missouri	$63,581	$31
   16	Alabama	$61,981	$30

   Average personnel security specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Palantir	$117,165	$56.33	18
   2	Amazon	$116,142	$55.84	91
   3	Parsons	$97,171	$46.72	20
   4	Sandia National Labs	$87,269	$41.96
   5	SOS International	$81,958	$39.40	4
   6	ProSync	$79,907	$38.42	2
   7	FGS	$79,593	$38.27
   8	Live Nation Entertainment	$79,485	$38.21	79
   9	MEI Technologies	$77,018	$37.03
   10	Global Resource Solutions Inc	$76,895	$36.97	10
   11	Aveshka	$76,759	$36.90
   12	M.E.I	$76,266	$36.67
   13	Calhoun International	$75,614	$36.35	2
   14	Protection Strategies Incorporated	$74,466	$35.80	25
   15	Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa	$74,291	$35.72
   16	PSI Services	$73,558	$35.36
   17	Bay Area Innovations	$71,476	$34.36	3
   18	Leidos	$70,315	$33.81	91
   19	Pacific Architects and Engineers	$70,240	$33.77
   20	Vectrus	$69,114	$33.23

4. Writing a personnel security specialist job description

   A job description for a personnel security specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a personnel security specialist job description:

   Personnel security specialist job description example

   Celestar Corporation has an IMMEDIATE NEED to identify multiple Administrative Personnel Security Specialists who will be seated in the D.C.-Metro Park location. If interested and qualified, we welcome you to apply for this challenging opportunity.
   CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT: Active Top-Secret Level Clearance with SCI Access
   
   LOCATION: D.C- Metro Park
   
   RESPONSIBILITIES
   
   * Provide administrative support to the Security Vetting Office (SVO)
   * Capture statistical data and metrics, complete multi-step processes, communicate and answer requests for information (RFI) from customers
   * Analyze, investigate, prepare reports and/or recommend preventative or corrective actions in areas requiring specific expertise
   * Work/resolve problems of diverse scope where analysis of data requires evaluation of identifiable factors
   * Exercise independent judgment within generally defined practices and policies in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions
   
   REQUIREMENTS
   
   * Associates degree and three (3) years' experience performing personnel security administrative duties or five (5) years of personnel security administrative experience in lieu of a degree
   * Proficient experience with the following: Microsoft Office Suite, Computer Database Language (One Note), and the Contract Linguist Information Program (CLIP)
   * Working knowledge of Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS), Scattered Castles, the Army Investigative Records Repository (AIRR), Defense Central Index of Investigations (DCII), and other government agency (OGA) databases used for counterintelligence/intelligence and security checks
   * Travel within CONUS and OCONUS to attend meetings, conferences, training, and in support of missions
   * Proficiency with the following: Microsoft Office Suite, Computer Database Language (One Note), and the Contract Linguist Information Program (CLIP)
   * Must possess or be able to obtain and maintain a Counterintelligence Polygraph if assigned to Arlington, VA location
   * Exceptional oral and written communication skills
   * Valid US Passport
   * A new Federal Executive Order requires that employees of Federal contractors be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by January 18, 2022. Accordingly, as a condition of employment with Celestar, employees will be required to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or have an approved exemption prior to starting employment.
   
   PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
   
   * Bachelor's degree with three (3) years' experience as a Government or contractor employee preforming personnel security administrative duties is preferred
   
   IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a Best Athlete Selection Process! Please ensure that the required and/or desired experience is reflected on your resume to receive fair and competitive consideration.
   
   Come onboard with a company that Values its Employees!
   
   Celestar, a Veteran Owned Company, is Very Competitive with Salaries and Benefits. As an example, we offer Company Paid Benefits that include Employee and Family Dental Insurance, Employee Health Insurance. We also offer a 401k retirement company match, paid Holidays and Personal Time Off.
   
   Celestar is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, disability status, gender identity or national origin.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right personnel security specialist 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.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your personnel security specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit personnel 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

   Recruiting personnel security specialists 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.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview personnel security specialist candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • 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 personnel security specialist

   Once you've found the personnel security specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new personnel security specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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