January 12, 2004—According to the ASIS International 2003 Employment Survey, published in the January issue of the Society’s magazine, Security Management, security professionals saw their overall compensation in 2002 go up 13 percent from 2001’s numbers.
The highest paid security pros manage multiple facilities for publicly owned global enterprises, and work in the fields of information technology, manufacturing, and retail.
Education definitely matters as far as salaries go. With a four-year degree, the average salary was $86,700; without that degree, the average salary was more than $10,000 less, at $74,100. With a Master’s or higher, a security pro’s average salary was $102,600.
Whether or not the security professional works at a publicly held or a privately owned venture also makes quite a difference. Managers working for public companies earned $96,116, 11 percent more than their counterparts in private companies, who earned $85,708.
Personal development also makes a big difference in compensation. Those holding the Certified Protection Professional (CPP) designation from ASIS earned 22 percent more on average ($98,332) than those holding no certification ($80,485) in 2002. However, the disparity was most evident in private companies and those in the “other” category. In private companies, CPPs earned $101,572, while their counterparts with no certification earned $81,003.
The entire survey’s results can be found online.
