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Security specialist salary
Average security specialist salary
$49,892
Average Security Specialist Salary
The average salary for a security specialist in the United States is $49,892 per year, translating to about $24 per hour. This figure reflects the critical role these professionals play in protecting assets and ensuring safety across various industries.
Salary by Experience Level
Security specialists' salaries can vary significantly based on experience. For instance, entry-level positions may offer lower compensation, while seasoned professionals with specialized skills can command higher salaries. Understanding these dynamics is vital for job seekers aiming to advance their careers.
Top Paying States
Location plays a crucial role in determining salary. States with a high demand for security specialists, such as California, New York, and Texas, often report higher average salaries. Researching these markets can provide valuable insights for prospective employees.
Career Advancement Opportunities
For individuals looking to grow within this field, pursuing certifications in security management or advanced training can enhance job prospects and potential salary increases. Explore your options and find the right path that aligns with your career goals.
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Where can a Security Specialist earn more?
Security specialist salaries by experience level
Security specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average security specialist salary by state
The average security specialist salary in New York, Virginia, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average security specialist salary states are Mississippi, Iowa, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for security specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $92,308 | $44.38 |
| 2 | New York | $82,041 | $39.44 |
| 3 | Delaware | $66,327 | $31.89 |
| 4 | Virginia | $78,427 | $37.71 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $76,341 | $36.70 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $64,516 | $31.02 |
| 7 | Alaska | $59,347 | $28.53 |
| 8 | Maryland | $76,131 | $36.60 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $70,153 | $33.73 |
| 10 | Illinois | $57,608 | $27.70 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $68,324 | $32.85 |
| 12 | Texas | $56,484 | $27.16 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $61,995 | $29.81 |
| 14 | California | $55,653 | $26.76 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $54,596 | $26.25 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $52,157 | $25.08 |
| 17 | Georgia | $49,632 | $23.86 |
| 18 | Vermont | $58,057 | $27.91 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $50,433 | $24.25 |
| 20 | Alabama | $46,072 | $22.15 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $53,283 | $25.62 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $51,519 | $24.77 |
| 23 | Washington | $46,918 | $22.56 |
| 24 | Nevada | $44,768 | $21.52 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $50,003 | $24.04 |
| 26 | Maine | $51,986 | $24.99 |
| 27 | Missouri | $49,949 | $24.01 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $48,482 | $23.31 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $48,830 | $23.48 |
| 30 | Arizona | $43,246 | $20.79 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $41,781 | $20.09 |
| 32 | Ohio | $48,101 | $23.13 |
| 33 | Michigan | $49,434 | $23.77 |
| 34 | Indiana | $44,665 | $21.47 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $48,215 | $23.18 |
| 36 | Kansas | $45,299 | $21.78 |
| 37 | Florida | $38,570 | $18.54 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $37,692 | $18.12 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $44,004 | $21.16 |
| 40 | Colorado | $41,149 | $19.78 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $31,450 | $15.12 |
| 42 | Montana | $34,243 | $16.46 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $39,185 | $18.84 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $38,308 | $18.42 |
| 45 | Iowa | $36,849 | $17.72 |
| 46 | Oregon | $38,799 | $18.65 |
| 47 | Idaho | $35,573 | $17.10 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $40,161 | $19.31 |
| 49 | Utah | $37,709 | $18.13 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $36,496 | $17.55 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $38,302 | $18.41 |
Highest paying cities for security specialists
The highest-paying cities for security specialists are Washington, DC, Arlington, VA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $93,095 | $44.76 |
| 2 | Arlington, VA | $83,178 | $39.99 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $82,292 | $39.56 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $68,070 | $32.73 |
| 5 | Philadelphia, PA | $65,040 | $31.27 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $58,321 | $28.04 |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | $58,183 | $27.97 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $57,414 | $27.60 |
| 9 | Raleigh, NC | $56,523 | $27.17 |
| 10 | Portland, ME | $53,769 | $25.85 |
| 11 | Saint Louis, MO | $50,869 | $24.46 |
| 12 | Detroit, MI | $50,100 | $24.09 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $49,671 | $23.88 |
| 14 | Minneapolis, MN | $48,203 | $23.17 |
| 15 | Seattle, WA | $47,176 | $22.68 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $46,608 | $22.41 |
| 17 | Huntsville, AL | $46,097 | $22.16 |
| 18 | Las Vegas, NV | $44,663 | $21.47 |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $44,061 | $21.18 |
| 20 | Phoenix, AZ | $43,266 | $20.80 |
Security Specialists are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Security specialist salary details
A security specialist's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $98,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a security specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| 75th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
| Average | $49,892 | $4,158 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying security specialist jobs
The highest paying types of security specialists are protection specialist, specialist, and lead security officer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrol Officer | $35,621 | $2,968 | $17.13 | 123,265 |
| Enforcement Officer | $38,446 | $3,204 | $18.48 | 82,142 |
| Protective Officer | $40,529 | $3,377 | $19.49 | 103,885 |
| Public Safety Officer | $36,596 | $3,050 | $17.59 | 122,048 |
| Community Services Officer | $38,039 | $3,170 | $18.29 | 181,257 |
| Protection Security Officer | $35,926 | $2,994 | $17.27 | 122,427 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for security specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Rowan University
Top companies hiring security specialists now:
Which companies pay security specialists the most?
Security specialist salaries at Okta and Microsoft are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average security specialist salary at companies like McKinsey & Company Inc and Google are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Okta | $146,220 | $70.30 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $130,227 | $62.61 |
| 3 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $129,950 | $62.48 |
| 4 | $128,661 | $61.86 | |
| 5 | Texas Instruments | $120,834 | $58.09 |
| 6 | Citi | $118,687 | $57.06 |
| 7 | Morgan Stanley | $116,160 | $55.85 |
| 8 | ANSER | $115,790 | $55.67 |
| 9 | Merrill Lynch | $114,372 | $54.99 |
| 10 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $112,710 | $54.19 |
| 11 | Splunk | $111,889 | $53.79 |
| 12 | McAfee | $111,690 | $53.70 |
| 13 | American Express | $110,237 | $53.00 |
| 14 | City National Bank | $107,870 | $51.86 |
| 15 | Citrix | $107,519 | $51.69 |
| 16 | Adobe | $106,902 | $51.40 |
| 17 | Teradata | $106,182 | $51.05 |
| 18 | Nokia | $105,894 | $50.91 |
| 19 | Palo Alto Networks | $105,448 | $50.70 |
| 20 | ConocoPhillips | $104,799 | $50.38 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Security specialist salary trends
The average security specialist salary has risen by $11,489 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average security specialist earned $38,403 annually, but today, they earn $49,892 a year. That works out to a 20% change in pay for security specialists over the last decade.
Compare security specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average security specialist salary over time
Compare security specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Security specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,900 | $23.99 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | $47,700 | $22.93 | +4.0% |
| 2023 | $45,800 | $22.01 | +5.6% |
| 2022 | $43,200 | $20.78 | +4.2% |
| 2021 | $41,400 | $19.91 | +4.4% |
Recently added security specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Associate Industrial Security Specialist | Berkeley, MO | 06/30/2025 | $64,450 |
| Jeppesen | Mid-Level Industrial Security Specialist | Herndon, VA | 06/30/2025 | $83,300 |
| Jeppesen | Mid-Level Industrial Security Specialist | San Antonio, TX | 06/30/2025 | $78,200 |
| Target | Target Security Specialist | Columbus, OH | 06/30/2025 | $36,523 |
| Target | Target Security Specialist | Tampa, FL | 06/30/2025 | $37,044 |
| Target | Target Security Specialist | Overland Park, KS | 06/30/2025 | $37,044 |
| Target | Target Security Specialist | Aberdeen, SD | 06/30/2025 | $37,044 |
| Target | Target Security Specialist | Cedar Rapids, IA | 06/30/2025 | $36,523 |
| Target | Target Security Specialist | South Burlington, VT | 06/30/2025 | $42,784 |
| Target | Target Security Specialist | Silver Spring, MD | 06/30/2025 | $42,262 |
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