How To Become A Senior Information Security Consultant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior information security consultant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Darren Hayes

Information is an extremely valuable company asset. With the rise of cybersecurity attacks over the years, it only makes sense for companies to minimize their risk by hiring qualified senior information security consultants--either on a regular basis or as needed.

Like many other types of consultants, a senior information security consultant provides valuable guidance and valuable advice that help organizations reach their goals. This particular role focuses on information security, specifically the protection of company data and other IT assets.

A senior information security consultant is a highly-experienced and highly-skilled consultant that works with companies to ensure the security of their data. Their responsibilities include conducting information security assessments, ensuring implementation of information security programs, working with companies to improve security policies, and providing guidance when it comes to security management systems.

Many senior information security consultants hold master's degrees in business, information technology, computer science, and other similar fields. While many companies prefer master's degree holders, a candidate with a bachelor's degree may still be qualified. On top of tertiary education, most employers also require at least three or five years of experience in a leadership role.

Considering the heavy responsibilities that this position holds, the average annual salary of $111,000 for a senior information security consultant does not come as a surprise.

What general advice would you give to a senior information security consultant?

Dr. Darren Hayes

Associate Professor, Pace University

Add a cover letter, to accompany your resume, as many older people who review your resume expect you to include one. Don't just list your skills but mention some special projects that you were involved in, or your impact on an organization during an internship. These demonstrate the application of your skills and can be great talking points during an interview. Don't add a lot of acronyms to your resume and expect that the reviewer will know what those mean - spell everything out. Read about the organization that you are applying to before an interview - it shows that you care and are taking an interest while in the interview. Professional certifications, in addition to your degree, will give you an edge over other applicants. Additionally, participation in team competitions, such as capture the flag, demonstrates a willingness to learn beyond the classroom, hone your skills, and ability to work in a team setting. Cybersecurity, digital forensics, IT, are always evolving so you need to continue to evolve too. Therefore, you should have plans to continue learning, such as professional certifications, graduate degree, training classes and other continuing education options. Talk about your plans and goals in an interview and not just about what you have done.

ScoreSenior Information Security ConsultantUS Average

Salary

7.8

Avg. Salary $106,150

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.5

Growth rate 32%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.43%

Asian 9.64%

Black or African American 9.15%

Hispanic or Latino 8.99%

Unknown 6.09%

White 65.70%

Gender

female 16.87%

male 83.13%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

6.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.9

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a senior information security consultant

Explore senior information security consultant education requirements

Most common senior information security consultant degrees

Bachelor's

67.3 %

Master's

16.3 %

Associate

8.7 %

Start to develop specific senior information security consultant skills

Skills	Percentages
Risk Assessments	10.35%
Risk Management	8.62%
Cloud Security	7.49%
NIST	5.86%
Security Assessments	5.41%

Complete relevant senior information security consultant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior information security consultants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior information security consultant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior information security consultant resumes.

Gain additional senior information security consultant certifications

Senior information security consultant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific senior information security consultant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for senior information security consultants include Certified Information Systems Security Professional - Architecture (CISSP) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

More About Certifications

Research senior information security consultant duties and responsibilities

Audit and recommend controls to mitigate risks and achieve compliance with SOX and GLBA regulations.
Manage the conversion to a hybrid NAS/disk/tape CommVault base backup environment resulting in decreasing backup windows and improving recovery objectives.
Utilize standard frameworks & guidelines such as ISO27001, OUM, NIST, ASD, PSR and NZISM.
Develop Cisco firewall policy and maintenance plans.

Get senior information security consultant experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a senior information security consultant. The most common roles before becoming a senior information security consultant include information security analyst, information security consultant team lead and network administrator.

Prepare your senior information security consultant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior information security consultant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior information security consultant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable senior information security consultant resume templates

Build a professional senior information security consultant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior information security consultant resume.

Apply for senior information security consultant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a senior information security consultant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average senior information security consultant salary

The average senior information security consultant salary in the United States is $106,150 per year or $51 per hour. Senior information security consultant salaries range between $79,000 and $141,000 per year.

Average senior information security consultant salary

$106,150 Yearly

$51.03 hourly

What is a senior information security consultant and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a senior information security consultant?

Senior information security consultant career paths

Key steps to become a senior information security consultant

Explore senior information security consultant education requirements

Most common senior information security consultant degrees

Start to develop specific senior information security consultant skills

Complete relevant senior information security consultant training and internships

Gain additional senior information security consultant certifications

Research senior information security consultant duties and responsibilities

Get senior information security consultant experience

Prepare your senior information security consultant resume

Choose from 10+ customizable senior information security consultant resume templates

Apply for senior information security consultant jobs

How did you land your first senior information security consultant job

Average senior information security consultant salary

How do senior information security consultants rate their job?