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Job outlook for senior security specialists in the United States
Senior security specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected senior security specialist job growth rate is 32% from 2018-2028.
About 35,500 new jobs for senior security specialists are projected over the next decade.
Senior security specialist salaries have increased 12% for senior security specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 30,621 senior security specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 56,656 active senior security specialist job openings in the US.
The average senior security specialist salary is $106,764.
Are senior security specialist jobs in demand?
Senior security specialist job and salary trends over time
Senior security specialist jobs over time
Senior security specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 30,621 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 31,250 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 32,885 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 31,708 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 30,990 | 0.01% |
Average senior security specialist salary over time
Senior security specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $106,764 | $51.33 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $103,246 | $49.64 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $100,909 | $48.51 | +3.0% |
| 2023 | $97,995 | $47.11 | +3.1% |
| 2022 | $95,009 | $45.68 | +2.8% |
Senior security specialist jobs by state
Most common states for senior security specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 343 | 49% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 227 | 24% |
| 3 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,162 | 21% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 222 | 21% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 159 | 21% |
| 6 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 359 | 19% |
| 7 | Vermont | 623,657 | 116 | 19% |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 248 | 18% |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,164 | 17% |
| 10 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 545 | 17% |
| 11 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 128 | 17% |
| 12 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,072 | 16% |
| 13 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,693 | 16% |
| 14 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,401 | 16% |
| 15 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,323 | 16% |
| 16 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 163 | 16% |
| 17 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,547 | 15% |
| 18 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,136 | 15% |
| 19 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 718 | 15% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 488 | 14% |
Most common cities for senior security specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Springfield | 2 | 7% | $106,699 |
| 2 | Menlo Park | 2 | 6% | $120,736 |
| 3 | Alameda | 2 | 3% | $120,965 |
| 4 | Reston | 2 | 3% | $106,670 |
| 5 | Turlock | 2 | 3% | $119,575 |
| 6 | Burbank | 2 | 2% | $112,145 |
| 7 | Daly City | 2 | 2% | $121,124 |
| 8 | San Leandro | 2 | 2% | $120,868 |
| 9 | Santa Clara | 2 | 2% | $120,496 |
| 10 | Fremont | 2 | 1% | $120,565 |
| 11 | Hayward | 2 | 1% | $120,770 |
| 12 | Huntsville | 2 | 1% | $85,720 |
| 13 | Stockton | 2 | 1% | $120,255 |
| 14 | Sunnyvale | 2 | 1% | $120,560 |
| 15 | Oakland | 2 | 0% | $120,952 |
| 16 | Sacramento | 2 | 0% | $120,731 |
| 17 | San Diego | 2 | 0% | $110,130 |
| 18 | San Francisco | 2 | 0% | $121,148 |
| 19 | San Jose | 2 | 0% | $120,324 |
Senior Security Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of senior security specialist experts
Rider University
Pace University
American University
Medaille College
Texas A&M University San Antonio
What will help Senior Security Specialists increase their earning potential?
Robert Cutlip Ph.D.: The field of Cybersecurity is rapidly evolving. Threats from foreign actors are becoming more mature. Also, artificial intelligence presents new challenges. I would suggest staying abreast of new threat signatures, mitigation strategies, and technologies that will be a factor in this space in the near future.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Security Specialist?
Zhengping Luo Ph.D.: Securing your first internship or job in your field can be challenging and sometimes frustrating. It's important to keep an open mind about all potential job opportunities in your field. While your first job may not be your dream job, gaining experience will improve your prospects as long as you remain in the field. Be patient, as you may face many rejections before landing a good position. It's worth noting that rejections are often not a reflection of your qualifications. Employers consider various factors when hiring, and many of which are often have nothing to do with your professional skills, so don't be discouraged. Simply keep moving forward without carrying the burden of past rejections. After securing your position, remain open to challenges, as they often provide opportunities to make a name for yourself and advance your career.
What Senior Security Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Zhengping Luo Ph.D.: Cybersecurity is a rapidly evolving field deeply rooted in Computer Science. To excel as a cybersecurity expert, you must understand the underlying technology of information systems. Therefore, continuous learning and staying updated with the latest technologies are essential. Currently, generative models like large language models are on the rise. It won't be long before cybersecurity concerns expand to include artificial intelligence technologies. Thus, the ability to keep pace with technological advancements, such as AI, is crucial for cybersecurity professionals. Cybersecurity is still evolving, and programming/debugging skills remain crucial. In addition, strong communication and teamwork skills are increasingly essential for cybersecurity experts.
What will help Senior Security Specialists increase their earning potential?
Zhengping Luo Ph.D.: Maximizing your salary potential hinges on providing value in a market-driven economy. Make sure to focus on developing skills that are in high demand. One of the tips is to consider expanding your horizons beyond where you grow up or the place you received your degree. Explore opportunities in locations that value your talents and offer competitive compensation, such as different cities, states, or even nations. Additionally, don't limit yourself to familiar job roles; be open to new positions and industries. The evolving job market continually creates new and unforeseen opportunities. While striving for financial success is important, it's equally vital to consider long-term goals and personal fulfillment. Prioritize maximizing life experiences and other cherished values alongside financial goals.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Security Specialist?
Dr. Darren Hayes: 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.
What Senior Security Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Darren Hayes: Many students add 'Excellent communication skills' to their resume but cannot explain what they mean by this. If you can demonstrate this by showing a website that you created, detailing your skills, portfolio of special projects, and other key successes, then it shows that you went the extra mile. Excellent communication skills can also be demonstrated with a YouTube video that you created, a presentation you gave at an academic conference or at other speaking engagements. Graduates looking for a job with Homeland Security that can demonstrate excellent writing skills are in need. My students who possessed excellent writing skills, in addition to technical skills, generally ended up making a higher salary. Those in high-ranking positions are generally assigned reporting responsibilities that require a good command of the English language. Critical thinking is also vitally important.
What will help Senior Security Specialists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Darren Hayes: Artificial intelligence - in terms of automating certain areas of cybersecurity, such as acquiring threat intelligence, malware detection and being alerted to network breaches. Ransomware continues to be the primary concern for most organizations and using AI to quickly identify those threats and quickly respond will be key. AI can also be used in investigations, such as photo searches to identify where a suspect is or to find a missing person. Knowledge of current events - especially geopolitical events. These events have repercussions for the most sophisticated (state-sponsored) cyber attacks. Knowledge of a second, third or fourth language, is helpful now and will continue to be important - especially from a cybersecurity perspective because investigations often include foreign nationals. Knowledge of malware is really important for homeland security and this area of expertise will continue to be in demand. Incident response will continue to be understaffed and therefore tremendous opportunities will continue for those who can respond to network breaches, forensically analyze systems, examine malware, etc. Other areas of importance include, machine learning, quantum computing, open source intelligence (OSINT), threat intelligence (especially related to critical infrastructure and SCADA), cryptocurrencies, IoT threats and IoT evidence, to name but a few.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Senior Security Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Trace Lasley Ph.D.: The pandemic will have less of an impact than the change in administration and budget negotiations with Congress. Hiring seems to have slowed at the end of the last administration, but will likely pick up again. Even as administration priorities in the Department of Homeland Security shift, they will be offset by hiring in the wider homeland security enterprise including those at the federal, state, and local levels as well as contractor positions.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Senior Security Specialists?
Trace Lasley Ph.D.: There are a lot of good courses. The best programs to look for are those that offer practical skills alongside the substantive knowledge. That means writing, briefing, project management, and other skills that are valuable regardless of the position. Substantively, right now, I would say domestic terrorism and cybersecurity, but you can't neglect the fundamentals about the history of homeland security and transnational terrorism.
How have salaries changed over time for Senior Security Specialists?
Trace Lasley Ph.D.: Federal salaries are an open record. Check out the Office of Personnel Management https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/#url=2021. You can see the salaries for the last 10 years, and there's a link that will take you back to 1949. For a Masters level homeland security practitioner, you're generally looking at a GS-9 salary, which will vary by location.
Dr. Steven MacMartin
Director, Associate ProfessorMedaille College
Homeland Security Program
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Senior Security Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Steven MacMartin: Overall, in general? Health care, elementary school teachers, daycare, researchers at the PhD level and also low level, entry/service jobs - fast food, restaurant, bar, etc. Homeland Security specifically - really none. Jobs in the Homeland Security field have remained largely unaffected by the pandemic, and the pandemic isn't really directly related to specific Homeland Security jobs. (Maybe in the research and technology fields.). A side effect of the pandemic has been to focus a little on cyber security issues and those jobs could expand in law enforcement and Homeland Security areas.
What soft skills should all Senior Security Specialists possess?
Dr. Steven MacMartin: Absolutely - writing and oral presentation. A secondary skill that is helpful is academic research skills. But definitely writing skills.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Senior Security Specialists?
Izzat Alsmadi: All certificates related to the earlier fields, specially data science and cyber security.