Leads a company's global security program, protecting people, facilities, executives, events and assets from crime, violence, espionage and crises. ScottMadden Security & Compliance Survey 2025, via Security Magazine puts typical pay at $473,309 a year (2025). BLS does not publish separate figures for security managers; it counts them within security manager (SOC 11-3013), whose median pay is $106,660 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 11-3013
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Chief Security Officer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $106,660a year, or $51.28/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $64KTop 10% $176K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +4.6%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+4.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +4.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 14,200165,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025165.9K
- Projected 2035173.5K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 165.9K Projected 2035 173.5K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Certificate5%
- Associate's10%
- Bachelor's70%
- Master's15%
Highest education held by security managers Segment Value Certificate 5% Associate's 10% Bachelor's 70% Master's 15%
Also advertised as: CSO, Head of Global Security, Vice President of Corporate Security, Corporate Security Director, Director of Global Security.
Pay
How much do Security Managers make?
Industry-reported pay
$473,309
Weighted average base salary plus annual bonus (excluding long-term incentives), top global security executive (Chief Security Officer) at companies in the ScottMadden Security & Compliance compensation survey.
Source: ScottMadden Security & Compliance Survey 2025, via Security Magazine, 2025 (published compensation survey). This is not a BLS figure: BLS counts security managers within security manager, whose pay is shown below. Security Magazine: The Salary of a Chief Security Officer (January 2026 special report) · ScottMadden: The Salary of a Chief Security Officer
Every chief security officer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$106,660
Middle half earn $82,020 to $138,870
- 10th
- $64,480
- 25th
- $82,020
- 75th
- $138,870
- 90th
- $176,120
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $64,480 |
| 25th | $82,020 |
| Median | $106,660 |
| 75th | $138,870 |
| 90th | $176,120 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $106,660
- Median hourly wage
- $51.28/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $116,890
- People employed
- 156,180
Versus all US occupations
At $106,660, Security Managers earn 109% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $55,680 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 15% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $176,120 or more while the bottom 10% earn $64,480, a gap of 2.7×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 80% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($139,990), but once local prices are taken into account Alabama leads at $136,237 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Security Managers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $139,990 | $130,816 | 2,790 |
| 2New York | $131,350 | $121,709 | 9,580 |
| 3Delaware | $129,260 | $129,509 | 240 |
| 4New Jersey | $124,110 | $114,066 | 5,690 |
| 5Massachusetts | $124,100 | $117,344 | 6,070 |
| 6Colorado | $122,510 | $118,882 | 2,150 |
| 7Alabama | $121,010 | $136,237 | 940 |
| 8California | $118,620 | $107,135 | 20,550 |
| 9Kansas | $117,270 | $130,202 | 1,080 |
| 10Virginia | $116,540 | $115,267 | 2,950 |
Job outlook
Is Chief Security Officer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +4.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Security Managers | +4.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Security Managers to change 4.6% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 7,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,200 openings are projected each year, 8.6% of the 165,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Chief Security Officer
Most CSOs spend years in law enforcement, federal agencies, the military or corporate security before reaching the top job, and a bachelor's degree is usually expected, with many holding a master's in security management, criminal justice or business. Business skills matter as much as security expertise because the role competes for budget with every other executive.
The Certified Protection Professional credential from ASIS International is the best-known professional credential for security leaders, and ASIS also runs executive education and standards work. Typical paths run from security manager to regional or divisional director to global head. Former federal agents often enter corporate security at the director level and move up.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as security managers.
- Bachelor's Degree70%
- Master's Degree15%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree10%
- Post-Secondary Certificate5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 70% |
| Master's Degree | 15% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 10% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Chief Security Officer do?
A chief security officer is the senior executive responsible for keeping a company's people and physical assets safe. That covers headquarters and plant security, executive protection, investigations, workplace violence prevention, travel security for employees abroad, crisis management, and often business continuity and the security of supply chains.
CSOs build the strategy, budget and teams behind all of that. They decide where to spend on guards, cameras and access control, set policy, and brief the chief executive and board on threats ranging from activist protests to state-backed espionage. In many companies they work closely with the chief information security officer, since physical and cyber threats overlap, and they lead the response when an incident such as a kidnapping, shooting, natural disaster or data theft hits the company.
Day-to-day tasks
- Set the company's global security strategy, policy and budget
- Lead teams covering facilities, investigations, travel and executive protection
- Brief executives and the board on current threats and risks
- Direct the response to serious incidents and crises
- Oversee workplace violence prevention and threat management programs
- Coordinate with the cybersecurity, legal, HR and compliance functions
- Manage relationships with law enforcement and government agencies
- Select and oversee security vendors and contract guard forces
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
CSOs work from corporate headquarters, with regular travel to sites, regional offices and high-risk locations. The role is on call around the clock for serious incidents, and much of the week is spent in executive meetings, budget reviews and briefings rather than in the field.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking4.3
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Writing3.8
- Active Learning3.6
- Learning Strategies3.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.1
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Complex Problem Solving4.0
- Coordination3.9
- Management of Personnel Resources3.8
- Management of Financial Resources3.6
- Time Management3.5
- Persuasion3.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.8 |
| Management of Financial Resources | 3.6 |
| Time Management | 3.5 |
| Persuasion | 3.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Chief Security Officer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ECR) built on O*NET's Security Manager profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Chief Security Officer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising5.7
- Conventional5.4
- Realistic3.8
- Investigative3.7
- Social2.8
- Artistic1.3
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Chief Security Officer
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
- Protective Service
- Management
- Protective Service
- Management
More management careers
Median annual pay, with security managers highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Chief Security Officer$106,660
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Chief Security Officer | $106,660 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Chief Security Officer appears on
Questions
Chief Security Officer: frequently asked questions
How much do Security Managers make?
ScottMadden Security & Compliance Survey 2025, via Security Magazine reports $473,309 (weighted average base salary plus annual bonus (excluding long-term incentives), top global security executive (Chief Security Officer) at companies in the ScottMadden Security & Compliance compensation survey, 2025). BLS does not publish a separate wage for security managers. It counts them within security manager, whose median pay is $106,660 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $82,020 and $138,870, and the top 10% earn $176,120 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Chief Security Officer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Security Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 70.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Chief Security Officer a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4.6% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 14,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Chief Security Officer do?
A chief security officer is the senior executive responsible for keeping a company's people and physical assets safe. A typical task: set the company's global security strategy, policy and budget. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Development environment software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Security Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Security Managers are Washington ($139,990), New York ($131,350), Delaware ($129,260) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Alabama moves to the top at $136,237.
What personality type suits a Chief Security Officer?
O*NET scores Security Managers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.