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Best states for a security administrator
Quoted expert
Jacob Chapman
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Are you thinking of becoming a security administrator and really want to work at Department of Homeland Security? Turns out, your chances to become a security administrator are better in some states than others.As security administrators are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for security administrators. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a security administrator, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for security administrators.We found that the Midwest is best for security administrators, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for security administrator jobs, where as Ohio is the best state in the country.
10 best states for security administrators in 2025
1. Ohio
Total security administrator jobs: 1,829 Average annual salary: $90,891 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
2. Washington
Total security administrator jobs: 1,489 Average annual salary: $89,041 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
3. Oregon
Total security administrator jobs: 789 Average annual salary: $88,557 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
4. Nevada
Total security administrator jobs: 411 Average annual salary: $83,620 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
5. New Hampshire
Total security administrator jobs: 328 Average annual salary: $84,930 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
6. Pennsylvania
Total security administrator jobs: 2,527 Average annual salary: $81,599 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
7. New York
Total security administrator jobs: 2,807 Average annual salary: $86,380 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
8. Texas
Total security administrator jobs: 4,108 Average annual salary: $82,753 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
9. Arizona
Total security administrator jobs: 1,363 Average annual salary: $81,142 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
10. Tennessee
Total security administrator jobs: 967 Average annual salary: $84,763 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1
Security administrator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a security administrator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a security administrator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | $90,891 | $60,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,829 |
| 2 | Washington | $89,041 | $59,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,489 |
| 3 | Oregon | $88,557 | $58,000 | 4,142,776 | 789 |
| 4 | Nevada | $83,620 | $55,000 | 2,998,039 | 411 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $84,930 | $56,000 | 1,342,795 | 328 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $81,599 | $54,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,527 |
| 7 | New York | $86,380 | $58,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,807 |
| 8 | Texas | $82,753 | $54,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,108 |
| 9 | Arizona | $81,142 | $54,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,363 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $84,763 | $54,000 | 6,715,984 | 967 |
| 11 | South Carolina | $85,649 | $54,000 | 5,024,369 | 716 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $96,799 | $64,000 | 6,859,819 | 904 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $84,170 | $56,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,652 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $79,965 | $53,000 | 1,059,639 | 265 |
| 15 | Delaware | $82,781 | $55,000 | 961,939 | 237 |
| 16 | California | $99,723 | $66,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,481 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $84,955 | $58,000 | 869,666 | 137 |
| 18 | Maine | $83,191 | $55,000 | 1,335,907 | 188 |
| 19 | Idaho | $80,904 | $53,000 | 1,716,943 | 264 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $77,259 | $52,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,410 |
| 21 | Alaska | $76,593 | $55,000 | 739,795 | 207 |
| 22 | Vermont | $77,759 | $51,000 | 623,657 | 139 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $74,628 | $48,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,954 |
| 24 | Illinois | $75,714 | $50,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,540 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $79,409 | $53,000 | 3,588,184 | 586 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $75,229 | $49,000 | 4,454,189 | 566 |
| 27 | Alabama | $71,507 | $45,000 | 4,874,747 | 914 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $73,854 | $49,000 | 5,795,483 | 874 |
| 29 | Iowa | $73,404 | $49,000 | 3,145,711 | 544 |
| 30 | Georgia | $72,370 | $46,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,844 |
| 31 | Kansas | $72,748 | $48,000 | 2,913,123 | 481 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $71,527 | $47,000 | 1,815,857 | 230 |
| 33 | Montana | $71,368 | $48,000 | 1,050,493 | 195 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $71,424 | $46,000 | 3,930,864 | 480 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $68,641 | $46,000 | 2,088,070 | 361 |
| 36 | Michigan | $69,409 | $46,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,197 |
| 37 | Virginia | $73,984 | $49,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,348 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $63,770 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 451 |
| 39 | Florida | $72,921 | $45,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,515 |
| 40 | Maryland | $72,455 | $48,000 | 6,052,177 | 917 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $66,268 | $45,000 | 579,315 | 100 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $65,574 | $45,000 | 755,393 | 158 |
| 43 | Utah | $69,363 | $46,000 | 3,101,833 | 363 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $70,762 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 90 |
| 45 | Missouri | $66,156 | $43,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,036 |
| 46 | Indiana | $65,626 | $43,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,065 |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $70,287 | $47,000 | 693,972 | 239 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $67,988 | $43,000 | 4,684,333 | 460 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $62,469 | $42,000 | 1,920,076 | 388 |
| 50 | Colorado | $69,626 | $46,000 | 5,607,154 | 779 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $65,784 | $42,000 | 3,004,279 | 348 |
Highest paying states for security administrators
| Rank | State | Avg. Security Administrator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | $90,891 |
| 2 | Washington | $89,041 |
| 3 | Oregon | $88,557 |
| 4 | Nevada | $83,620 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $84,930 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $81,599 |
| 7 | New York | $86,380 |
| 8 | Texas | $82,753 |
| 9 | Arizona | $81,142 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $84,763 |
| 11 | South Carolina | $85,649 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $96,799 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $84,170 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $79,965 |
| 15 | Delaware | $82,781 |
| 16 | California | $99,723 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $84,955 |
| 18 | Maine | $83,191 |
| 19 | Idaho | $80,904 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $77,259 |
| 21 | Alaska | $76,593 |
| 22 | Vermont | $77,759 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $74,628 |
| 24 | Illinois | $75,714 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $79,409 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $75,229 |
| 27 | Alabama | $71,507 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $73,854 |
| 29 | Iowa | $73,404 |
| 30 | Georgia | $72,370 |
| 31 | Kansas | $72,748 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $71,527 |
| 33 | Montana | $71,368 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $71,424 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $68,641 |
| 36 | Michigan | $69,409 |
| 37 | Virginia | $73,984 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $63,770 |
| 39 | Florida | $72,921 |
| 40 | Maryland | $72,455 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $66,268 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $65,574 |
| 43 | Utah | $69,363 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $70,762 |
| 45 | Missouri | $66,156 |
| 46 | Indiana | $65,626 |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $70,287 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $67,988 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $62,469 |
| 50 | Colorado | $69,626 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $65,784 |
Expert opinions on the best states for security administrators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for security administrators to find work opportunities?
Jacob Chapman
Director, Grantek Systems Integration
I would say the good news is there's a lot of flexibility. Working in the industrial automation field, manufacturing, and industrial operations are everywhere, and so are the vendors and service providers that support them. Additionally, remote access into the systems that need work done on them and employers' openness to working from home is accelerating. Finally, COVID-19 has made many organizations, which valued in-person interaction, learn that business can continue with a highly remote workforce.
With all of that being said, there are hotspots to be aware of. In life sciences, manufacturing, Raleigh-Durham, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Boston, and California come to mind. If you're open to working at an engineering services company or an OEM, your options are endless, and they're often located outside major U.S. and Canadian cities.
Security administrator best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025