Runs the security program a defense contractor needs to hold a facility clearance and work on classified government contracts. BLS does not publish separate figures for security management specialists; it counts them within security management specialist (SOC 13-1199), whose median pay is $83,050 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 13-1199
- Business and Financial Operations
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Facility Security Officer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $83,050a year, or $39.93/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $150K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.9%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.9%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.9% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 98,7001,157,600 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20251.2M
- Projected 20351.2M
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 1.2M Projected 2035 1.2M - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Certificate10%
- Some college10%
- Bachelor's65%
- Post-bacc certificate5%
- Master's10%
Highest education held by security management specialists Segment Value Certificate 10% Some college 10% Bachelor's 65% Post-bacc certificate 5% Master's 10%
Also advertised as: FSO, Industrial Security Specialist, Corporate Security Officer (Cleared), Security Clearance Manager, Industrial Security Manager.
Pay
How much do Security Management Specialists make?
Every facility security officer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$83,050
Middle half earn $62,640 to $114,010
- 10th
- $47,880
- 25th
- $62,640
- 75th
- $114,010
- 90th
- $150,010
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,880 |
| 25th | $62,640 |
| Median | $83,050 |
| 75th | $114,010 |
| 90th | $150,010 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $83,050
- Median hourly wage
- $39.93/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $93,970
- People employed
- 1,087,090
Versus all US occupations
At $83,050, Security Management Specialists earn 63% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $32,070 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
Inside the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730, this is 3% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $150,010 or more while the bottom 10% earn $47,880, a gap of 3.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 63% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($108,160), but once local prices are taken into account Alabama leads at $112,854 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Security Management Specialists 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $108,160 | $98,416 | 37,790 |
| 2Maryland | $101,500 | $96,704 | 39,820 |
| 3Washington | $100,360 | $93,783 | 51,650 |
| 4Alabama | $100,240 | $112,854 | 6,990 |
| 5Delaware | $95,040 | $95,223 | 1,600 |
| 6Alaska | $94,740 | $92,557 | 2,020 |
| 7Oklahoma | $93,640 | $106,599 | 5,700 |
| 8Massachusetts | $93,270 | $88,193 | 17,910 |
| 9Hawaii | $92,620 | $84,238 | 4,030 |
| 10Colorado | $92,520 | $89,780 | 45,670 |
Job outlook
Is Facility Security Officer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Security Management Specialists | +3.9% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Security Management Specialists to change 3.9% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 44,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 98,700 openings are projected each year, 8.5% of the 1,157,600 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Facility Security Officer
There is no single required degree, though many FSOs hold a bachelor's in security management, criminal justice or business, and many come from military security, administrative or intelligence roles. The government requires an FSO to hold a personnel clearance at the level of the facility and to complete FSO training through the Center for Development of Security Excellence.
Useful credentials include the Security Fundamentals Professional Certification from the Center for Development of Security Excellence and the Industrial Security Professional certification from NCMS, the Society of Industrial Security Professionals. Many people start as security assistants or clearance processors at defense contractors and become the FSO at a smaller firm before moving to larger programs.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 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 management specialists.
- Bachelor's Degree65%
- Post-Secondary Certificate10%
- Some College Courses10%
- Master's Degree10%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 65% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 10% |
| Some College Courses | 10% |
| Master's Degree | 10% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Facility Security Officer do?
A facility security officer is the person a cleared company names to the government as responsible for protecting classified information. Any contractor that works on classified defense, intelligence or energy programs must have one, and the FSO keeps the company in line with the National Industrial Security Program rules.
FSOs process employee security clearances, brief new hires on their obligations, and handle reports such as foreign travel, foreign contacts and suspected security violations. They make sure classified documents and computer systems are stored, marked and accessed correctly, run self-inspections, and prepare for reviews by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. At larger contractors the FSO leads a team covering personnel security, information security, insider threat and classified IT, while at small firms one person handles all of it.
Day-to-day tasks
- Process and track employee security clearance requests
- Brief and debrief employees on security obligations
- Manage storage, marking and transmission of classified material
- Report security incidents and adverse information to the government
- Run annual self-inspections of the company's security program
- Prepare for and host government security reviews
- Maintain the company's insider threat program
- Train staff on foreign travel, contacts and reporting rules
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
FSOs work in corporate offices of defense, aerospace, technology and consulting contractors, often in secure areas with restricted access. Hours are mostly regular. Government inspections, contract startups and security incidents bring busy periods and close attention to detail.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors 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
NoneConstantFace-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 dayCost 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
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Writing3.6
- Monitoring3.6
- Active Learning3.3
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Coordination3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Systems Analysis3.6
- Systems Evaluation3.6
- Social Perceptiveness3.5
- Persuasion3.4
- Instructing3.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.6 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.6 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.5 |
| Persuasion | 3.4 |
| Instructing | 3.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Internet directory services software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
“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 Facility Security Officer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code CEI) built on O*NET's Security Management Specialist profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Facility Security Officer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Conventional5.8
- Investigative5.1
- Enterprising4.2
- Realistic3.9
- Social2.0
- Artistic1.7
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 Facility Security Officer
O*NET related occupations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Management
- Computer and Mathematical
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
- Protective Service
More business and financial operations careers
Median annual pay, with security management specialists highlighted
- Financial Advisor$105,070
- Accountant$83,680
- Facility Security Officer$83,050
- Insurance Underwriter$81,370
- Coroner$80,730
- Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator$78,000
- Loan Officer$76,690
- Human Resources Specialist$75,940
- Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate$67,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial Advisor | $105,070 |
| Accountant | $83,680 |
| Facility Security Officer | $83,050 |
| Insurance Underwriter | $81,370 |
| Coroner | $80,730 |
| Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator | $78,000 |
| Loan Officer | $76,690 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $75,940 |
| Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate | $67,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Facility Security Officer appears on
Questions
Facility Security Officer: frequently asked questions
How much do Security Management Specialists make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for security management specialists. It counts them within security management specialist, whose median pay is $83,050 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $62,640 and $114,010, and the top 10% earn $150,010 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Facility Security Officer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Security Management Specialists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 65.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Facility Security Officer a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.9% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 98,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Facility Security Officer do?
A facility security officer is the person a cleared company names to the government as responsible for protecting classified information. A typical task: process and track employee security clearance requests. Employers most often ask for Cloud-based management software, Data base user interface and query software, Development environment software.
Which states pay Security Management Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Security Management Specialists are District of Columbia ($108,160), Maryland ($101,500), Washington ($100,360) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Alabama moves to the top at $112,854.
What personality type suits a Facility Security Officer?
O*NET scores Security Management Specialists highest on the Conventional, Investigative and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ 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.