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The differences between security specialists and lead security officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a security specialist has an average salary of $49,892, which is higher than the $43,560 average annual salary of a lead security officer.
The top three skills for a security specialist include ladders, security incidents and physical security. The most important skills for a lead security officer are patrol, security procedures, and emergency situations.
| Security Specialist | Lead Security Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $49,892 | $43,560 |
| Hourly rate | $23.99 | $20.94 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 96,226 | 114,945 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A security specialist is responsible for maintaining the security of an organization's database, ensuring that it's free from cyber threats and unusual activities. Security specialists' duties include upgrading hardware and software applications, configuring networks to improve optimization, addressing any unauthorized access on the database, troubleshooting system discrepancies, conducting security audits on the system, and improving automated processes. A security specialist must have a strong command of programming languages and system codes, as well as broad experience with technical expertise.
A lead security officer manages the members of a security team assigned to a certain shift. Lead security officers plan, organize, direct, and schedule work. They train personnel and recommend applicants for corrective action and training opportunities. It is their job to verify identification upon entry to a facility. They see to it that a secure environment for events is well-maintained. Also, they develop an execution plan and cloud strategy for the technology advisory board.
Security specialists and lead security officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security Specialist | Lead Security Officer | |
| Average salary | $49,892 | $43,560 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $98,000 | Between $24,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Arlington, VA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Okta | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | - | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a security specialist and a lead security officer in terms of educational background:
| Security Specialist | Lead Security Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between security specialists' and lead security officers' demographics:
| Security Specialist | Lead Security Officer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.0% Female, 26.0% | Male, 76.2% Female, 23.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 5.8% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | Black or African American, 13.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 5.5% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |