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Security director salary
Average security director salary
$114,844
Understanding Security Director Salaries
The average salary for a Security Director in the United States is approximately $114,844 per year, translating to around $55 per hour. This figure can vary based on several factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, Security Directors in high-demand areas may see salaries that exceed the national average.
Additionally, the role encompasses various responsibilities such as developing security strategies, managing crisis situations, and liaising with law enforcement. Each of these tasks can impact compensation levels. In states like California and New York, salaries can be significantly higher due to the cost of living and demand for skilled security professionals.
As organizations increasingly prioritize safety, the need for experienced Security Directors continues to grow, offering promising career opportunities. By leveraging proven experience and specialized training, professionals in this field can enhance their earning potential and career trajectory.
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Where can a Security Director earn more?
Security director salary estimates from across the web
Average security director salary by state
The average security director salary in Alaska, California, and Nevada are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average security director salary states are South Dakota, Kentucky, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for security directors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $126,141 | $60.64 |
| 2 | Nevada | $123,098 | $59.18 |
| 3 | New York | $122,402 | $58.85 |
| 4 | Arizona | $113,564 | $54.60 |
| 5 | Delaware | $114,472 | $55.03 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $115,284 | $55.42 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $114,701 | $55.14 |
| 8 | Maryland | $116,368 | $55.95 |
| 9 | Ohio | $109,421 | $52.61 |
| 10 | Virginia | $121,321 | $58.33 |
| 11 | Texas | $107,581 | $51.72 |
| 12 | Vermont | $111,821 | $53.76 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $112,277 | $53.98 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $111,007 | $53.37 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $110,712 | $53.23 |
| 16 | California | $123,244 | $59.25 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $117,732 | $56.60 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $106,454 | $51.18 |
| 19 | Iowa | $106,039 | $50.98 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $96,503 | $46.40 |
| 21 | Alabama | $94,860 | $45.61 |
| 22 | Washington | $103,503 | $49.76 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $99,361 | $47.77 |
| 24 | Indiana | $101,513 | $48.80 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $98,881 | $47.54 |
| 26 | Oregon | $104,516 | $50.25 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $100,683 | $48.41 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $89,130 | $42.85 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $113,815 | $54.72 |
| 30 | Kansas | $100,179 | $48.16 |
| 31 | Utah | $102,914 | $49.48 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $91,270 | $43.88 |
| 33 | Illinois | $96,344 | $46.32 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $88,225 | $42.42 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $90,781 | $43.64 |
| 36 | Idaho | $96,533 | $46.41 |
| 37 | Maine | $94,975 | $45.66 |
| 38 | Missouri | $91,806 | $44.14 |
| 39 | Georgia | $90,609 | $43.56 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $82,554 | $39.69 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $85,922 | $41.31 |
| 42 | Michigan | $88,486 | $42.54 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $89,940 | $43.24 |
| 44 | Montana | $86,839 | $41.75 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $76,979 | $37.01 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $82,334 | $39.58 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $93,498 | $44.95 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $82,535 | $39.68 |
| 49 | Colorado | $86,516 | $41.59 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $79,079 | $38.02 |
| 51 | Florida | $81,173 | $39.03 |
Highest paying cities for security directors
The highest-paying cities for security directors are San Francisco, CA, Las Vegas, NV, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $131,387 | $63.17 |
| 2 | Las Vegas, NV | $123,246 | $59.25 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $123,049 | $59.16 |
| 4 | McLean, VA | $122,586 | $58.94 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $117,918 | $56.69 |
| 6 | Baltimore, MD | $116,860 | $56.18 |
| 7 | Stamford, CT | $115,663 | $55.61 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $114,344 | $54.97 |
| 9 | Washington, DC | $114,006 | $54.81 |
| 10 | Cleveland, OH | $111,450 | $53.58 |
| 11 | Jersey City, NJ | $111,165 | $53.44 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $110,075 | $52.92 |
| 13 | Minneapolis, MN | $106,577 | $51.24 |
| 14 | Seattle, WA | $104,297 | $50.14 |
| 15 | Portland, OR | $104,069 | $50.03 |
| 16 | Salt Lake City, UT | $102,288 | $49.18 |
| 17 | Philadelphia, PA | $100,046 | $48.10 |
| 18 | Charlotte, NC | $98,470 | $47.34 |
| 19 | Chicago, IL | $96,896 | $46.58 |
| 20 | Saint Louis, MO | $93,758 | $45.08 |
Security director salary details
A security director's salary ranges from $73,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $178,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a security director's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $178,000 | $14,833 | $86 |
| 75th Percentile | $144,000 | $12,000 | $69 |
| Average | $114,844 | $9,570 | $55 |
| 25th Percentile | $90,000 | $7,500 | $43 |
| 10th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
Highest paying security director jobs
The highest paying types of security directors are director, security manager, and assistant security manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Of Security | $106,803 | $8,900 | $51.35 | 59,131 |
| Security Manager | $111,171 | $9,264 | $53.45 | 51,717 |
| Director | $113,489 | $9,457 | $54.56 | 230,711 |
Top companies hiring security directors now:
Which companies pay security directors the most?
Security director salaries at Conning and NVIDIA are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average security director salary at companies like Cloudflare and PayPal are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conning | $169,332 | $81.41 |
| 2 | NVIDIA | $167,988 | $80.76 |
| 3 | Cloudflare | $167,656 | $80.60 |
| 4 | PayPal | $162,447 | $78.10 |
| 5 | First Republic Bank | $160,064 | $76.95 |
| 6 | Microsoft | $151,789 | $72.98 |
| 7 | Stanford Health Care | $150,392 | $72.30 |
| 8 | Capital Group | $147,966 | $71.14 |
| 9 | CIBC World Markets | $146,704 | $70.53 |
| 10 | Travelport | $143,340 | $68.91 |
| 11 | Capgemini | $141,343 | $67.95 |
| 12 | ON Semiconductor | $140,815 | $67.70 |
| 13 | Fitbit | $138,761 | $66.71 |
| 14 | DocuSign | $137,352 | $66.03 |
| 15 | AlixPartners | $134,628 | $64.72 |
| 16 | Trimble | $132,659 | $63.78 |
| 17 | Amazon | $132,372 | $63.64 |
| 18 | NTT Data International L.L.C. | $131,933 | $63.43 |
| 19 | Robbinsdale Area Schools | $131,154 | $63.05 |
| 20 | RTI International Metals | $130,657 | $62.82 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Security director salary trends
The average security director salary has risen by $14,138 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average security director earned $100,706 annually, but today, they earn $114,844 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for security directors over the last decade.
Compare security director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average security director salary over time
Compare security director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Security director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $115,000 | $55.21 | +4.1% |
| 2025 | $110,000 | $52.96 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $109,000 | $52.28 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $107,000 | $51.37 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | $106,000 | $51.06 | +0.1% |
Recently added security director salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomenergy | Director, Securities and Governance | San Jose, CA | 06/30/2025 | $192,700 |
| Morgan Stanley | Securities Settlements Director (AVP) | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $82,000 |
| Open Systems Technologies | Director of Cyber Security | New York, NY | 06/28/2025 | $190,000 |
| Fox | Director, Digital Security | Los Angeles, CA | 06/28/2025 | $224,500 |
| Marriott International | Director of Security | San Francisco, CA | 06/27/2025 | $78,000 |
| Red Coats | Director of Security | Arlington, VA | 06/27/2025 | $100,000 |
| Titan Security Group | Security Director-Office Highrise-West Loop | Chicago, IL | 06/27/2025 | $87,000 |
| Gardaworld | Security Director | Allen, TX | 06/27/2025 | $61,000 |
| Sitio de Experiencia de Candidatos | Director of Security | San Francisco, CA | 06/27/2025 | $78,000 |
| CVS Health | Lead Director, Kubernetes Security | Cumberland, RI | 06/26/2025 | $144,200 |
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