What is a senior security analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Joé Lloyd

A senior security analyst evaluates and implements security measures to protect an organization's information systems and data. They conduct risk assessments, develop security policies, investigate incidents, and recommend solutions to mitigate risks. They also monitor network activity and work with others to implement security protocols. A senior security analyst stays up-to-date on cybersecurity trends and technologies and possess strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills. Overall, they aim to secure information systems from internal and external threats.

What general advice would you give to a senior security analyst?

Joé Lloyd

Senior Director, AVIXA

In the AVIXA 2019 Q2 Macro-Economic Trends Analysis, we studied how tight or slack labor markets affect hiring. We found that the current economy is tough for those seeking to enter a skill-intensive industry like audiovisual (AV). Our data shows that when unemployment goes up, AV companies respond by raising hiring standards. Candidates will need a strong résumé to get hired, whether it’s in years of experience or a targeted technical degree or certification.

ScoreSenior Security AnalystUS Average

Salary

7.7

Avg. Salary $103,571

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 23.49%

male 76.51%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a senior security analyst?

Pros

High demand for expertise
Competitive salary
Chance to work with and lead teams of security professionals
Flexibility in scheduling and work location
Room for advancement in the field

Cons

Long hours and on-call availability may be required
Lack of appreciation or understanding from non-security personnel within the organization
Potential for legal or financial repercussions if a breach occurs under your watch
Difficulty balancing technical demands with effective communication to non-technical stakeholders
Risk of exposure to sensitive or disturbing content during investigations or incident response

Key steps to become a senior security analyst

Explore senior security analyst education requirements

Most common senior security analyst degrees

Bachelor's

65.2 %

Master's

17.5 %

Associate

12.2 %

Start to develop specific senior security analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
NIST	6.51%
Incident Response	4.60%
Cloud Security	4.39%
Encryption	4.14%
Firewall	4.06%

Complete relevant senior security analyst training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior security analysts 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 security analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior security analyst resumes.

Gain additional senior security analyst certifications

Senior security analyst 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 security analyst certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for senior security analysts include Certified Information Systems Security Professional - Architecture (CISSP) and Security 5 Certification.

More About Certifications

Research senior security analyst duties and responsibilities

Supervise and manage information security assets associate with DISA STIGS and HBSS.
Utilize Unix utilities and management packages to analyze and manage traffic flow in the corporate backbone.
Manage GLBA security awareness and training program and annual information security awareness activities.
Introduce dashboards to identify preemptive attacks on corporate perimeter using intrusion detection and web application firewall technologies.

Get senior security analyst experience

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

Prepare your senior security analyst resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior security analyst 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 security analyst 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 security analyst resume templates

Build a professional senior security analyst 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 security analyst resume.