Senior Security Officer Education Requirements And Courses

Senior security officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Usually, senior security officers don't need a college education. The most common degree for senior security officers is bachelor's degree with 39% graduates, with only 27% senior security officer graduates earning associate degree. Senior security officers who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or Texas A&M; University - Central Texas. Some good skills to have in this position include patrol, emergency situations and security procedures.

Popular senior security officer certifications include Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Security 5 Certification, or First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor. To improve senior security officer qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in senior security officer education paths.

What education do you need to become a senior security officer?

What degree do you need to be a senior security officer?

The most common degree for senior security officers is bachelor's degree, with 39% of senior security officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 17%.

Bachelor's, 39%

Associate, 27%

High School Diploma, 17%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a senior security officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a senior security officer. 35% of senior security officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a senior security officer include business and general studies.

Criminal Justice, 35%

Business, 19%

General Studies, 5%

Psychology, 4%

Other Majors, 37%

Best majors for senior security officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	34.9%
2	Business	19.4%
3	General Studies	5.4%
4	Psychology	4.4%
5	Communication	3.2%

Show more common senior security officer majors

20 best online courses for senior security officers

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1. Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO)

4.5

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Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO) Certification Exam Prep Course...

2. Security Guard Training Course

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Security Officer Training In Today's Job Market...

3. Automotive Cyber Security

4.2

(1,627)

A learners Guide: Covers Automotive Security, Concepts of Security and many more...

4. Planning and Implementing a Security Incident Response

4.4

(1,105)

Learn all about planning and implementing a Security Incident Response along with best practices and recommendations...

5. Information Security Fundamentals - Cyber Security Bootcamp

4.2

(267)

A Beginners Awareness Guide on Information Security & Cyber Security to Keep Online and Offline Devices Safe!...

6. AWS Security: DevSecOps & AWS Security Services & Terraform

4.5

(331)

Cloud Security in AWS Implement SAST, SCA & DAST in AWS Dev Sec Ops Pipeline from scratch and Security Services in AWS...

7. The Complete Cyber Security Course: Network Security!

4.6

(16,367)

Volume 2 : Network Security, Wi Fi Security, Wi Fi Hackers, Firewalls, Wireshark, Secure Networking. + Password Managers...

8. CCSO - Certified Cloud Security Officer

4.7

(1,162)

Prepare for the Mile2® Certified Cloud Security Officer Exam (CCSO) with this course...

9. IT Security 101 - Cyber Security for Beginners

4.2

(390)

Learn cyber security best practice tips on securing computer networks from internal & external IT cyber security threats...

10. Information Systems Security for Professionals: CISSP

4.5

(2,165)

Making Next Gen Information Security Leaders...

11. Linux Security and Hardening, The Practical Security Guide.

4.5

(3,902)

Secure any Linux server from hackers & protect it against hacking. The practical Linux Administration security guide...

12. IT Security Gumbo: Cloud Security Fundamentals

4.1

(559)

The Foundation of AWS Cloud Security...

13. Security Management: Excellence in Private Protection

4.5

(905)

A complete Security Management knowledge suite of managing security operations, programs/services, budgets, & personnel...

14. Cyber Security: Awareness For Everyone (2023)

4.6

(343)

Cyber Security First Steps: Privacy, Phishing, Social Engineering, Malware, Email Security, and Hackers...

15. CompTIA Security Plus (SY0-601) Course Comptia Security+

4.4

(1,112)

Security+ is career. Join me for Comp TIA Security Plus, Comptia security+ & get Comptia security (SY0-601) certification...

16. Cyber Security: Info Security, Combat Cyber Threats, ChatGPT

4.4

(760)

Cyber Threats, Attacks, Viruses, Chat GPT & Cyber, Cyber Crimes, Firewalls, Cyber Security Concepts, Digital Forensics...

17. PHP Security

4.1

(463)

Learn to secure your PHP applications...

18. Information Security Basics for IT Support Technicians

4.3

(300)

Learn the basics of information security and what you need to know to be compliant with data protection regulations...

19. SAP Security Administration

4.6

(2,133)

SAP Security and Auditing...

20. SAP Security Training

4.1

(696)

A Practical and Detail Learning Program on SAP Security & Authorizations...

Average senior security officer salary by education level

According to our data, senior security officers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $71,643 annually. Senior security officers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $57,812.

Senior security officer education level	Senior security officer salary
Master's Degree	$71,643
High School Diploma or Less	$44,477
Bachelor's Degree	$57,812
Some College/ Associate Degree	$49,079