A physical security specialist covers sensitive facilities, assesses risk, provides solutions, and is employed in both the public and private sectors.
The employer's education and training requirements will vary, but most will prefer a bachelor's degree in criminal justice or a related field. They require a solid base of knowledge, as well as specialized skills. Additional courses in the humanities and social sciences are valuable in this career.
Physical security specialists make an average salary of $57,529 per year or $28 per hour. This job is mostly outdoor and requires more physical energy and attack tackling capacity.
How to Become a Physical Security Specialist
What is a Physical Security Specialist
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a Physical Security Specialist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $29.25 an hour? That's $60,848 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 32% and produce 35,500 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Physical Security Specialist Do
There are certain skills that many Physical Security Specialists have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed Analytical skills, Detail oriented and Problem-solving skills.
How To Become a Physical Security Specialist
If you're interested in becoming a Physical Security Specialist, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 48.0% of Physical Security Specialists have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 9.2% of Physical Security Specialists have master's degrees. Even though most Physical Security Specialists have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a Physical Security Specialist. When we researched the most common majors for a Physical Security Specialist, we found that they most commonly earn Bachelor's Degree degrees or Associate Degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on Physical Security Specialist resumes include High School Diploma degrees or Master's Degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a Physical Security Specialist. In fact, many Physical Security Specialist jobs require experience in a role such as Security Officer. Meanwhile, many Physical Security Specialists also have previous career experience in roles such as Police Officer or Security Specialist.
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Physical Security Specialist Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of Security Manager you might progress to a role such as Manager eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title Senior Human Resources Manager.
Physical Security Specialist
Senior Human Resources Manager
9 Years
Regional Service Manager
9 Years
Senior Business Manager
10 Years
Finance Project Manager
8 Years
Emergency Services Director
10 Years
Security Manager
6 Years
Show More
Physical Security Specialist Jobs You Might Like
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Create The Perfect Resume
Our resume builder tool will walk you through the process of creating a stand-out Physical Security Specialist resume.
Average Salary for a Physical Security Specialist
Physical Security Specialists in America make an average salary of $60,848 per year or $29 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $90,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $40,000 per year.
Average Salary
$60,848
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Find the best Physical Security Specialist job for you
Physical Security Specialist Jobs You Might Like
- High Paying Physical Security Specialist Jobs - $90K and Up
- Entry Level Physical Security Specialist Jobs
- Part Time Physical Security Specialist Jobs
- Actively Hiring
- No Degree Physical Security Specialist Jobs
Create The Perfect Resume
Our resume builder tool will walk you through the process of creating a stand-out Physical Security Specialist resume.
Check Jobs That Match To Your Education
None
High School / GED
Associate
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate
Top Colleges for Physical Security Specialists
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-State Tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
7. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
8. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
9. SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,369
Enrollment
5,229
10. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
Find the best Physical Security Specialist job for you
Physical Security Specialist Jobs You Might Like
- High Paying Physical Security Specialist Jobs - $90K and Up
- Entry Level Physical Security Specialist Jobs
- Part Time Physical Security Specialist Jobs
- Actively Hiring
- No Degree Physical Security Specialist Jobs
Online Courses For Physical Security Specialist That You May Like
Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO)
Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO) Certification Exam Prep Course...
Security Management: Excellence in Private Protection
A complete Security Management knowledge suite of managing security operations, programs/services, budgets, & personnel...
CISSP - Certified Information Systems Security Professional
CISSP Certification Course - Certified Information Systems Security Professional 2015...
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Top Skills For a Physical Security Specialist
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 18.4% of Physical Security Specialists listed Physical Security on their resume, but soft skills such as Analytical skills and Detail oriented are important as well.
- Physical Security, 18.4%
- Clearance, 11.4%
- Law Enforcement, 6.4%
- Access Control, 6.0%
- DOD, 4.4%
- Other Skills, 53.4% See All Physical Security Specialist Skills
12 Physical Security Specialist RESUME EXAMPLES
Build a professional physical security specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 12+ resume templates to create your physical security specialist resume.
Best States For a Physical Security Specialist
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a Physical Security Specialist. The best states for people in this position are New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Physical Security Specialists make the most in New Jersey with an average salary of $88,526. Whereas in New York and Pennsylvania, they would average $87,607 and $87,501, respectively. While Physical Security Specialists would only make an average of $85,064 in Virginia, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Pennsylvania
Total Physical Security Specialist Jobs:
2,573
Highest 10% Earn:
$147,000
Location Quotient:
1.25
Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
$87,501
Avg. Salary
2. New York
Total Physical Security Specialist Jobs:
2,920
Highest 10% Earn:
$146,000
Location Quotient:
1.29
Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
$87,607
Avg. Salary
3. New Jersey
Total Physical Security Specialist Jobs:
1,721
Highest 10% Earn:
$148,000
Location Quotient:
1.23
Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
$88,526
Avg. Salary
How Do Physical Security Specialist Rate Their Jobs?
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