Security Management Specialists

Conduct security assessments for organizations, and design security systems and processes. May specialize in areas such as physical security or the safety of employees and facilities.

Most important skills

Active Listening
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Reading Comprehension
Judgment and Decision Making
Coordination
Complex Problem Solving
Writing

Key knowledge

Public Safety and Security
English Language
Customer and Personal Service
Computers and Electronics
Administration and Management
Law and Government
Personnel and Human Resources
Education and Training

What the work involves

Assess the nature and level of physical security threats so that the scope of the problem can be determined.
Budget and schedule security design work.
Conduct security audits to identify potential vulnerabilities related to physical security or staff safety.
Design security policies, programs, or practices to ensure adequate security relating to alarm response, access card use, and other security needs.
Design, implement, or establish requirements for security systems, video surveillance, motion detection, or closed-circuit television systems to ensure proper installation and operation.
Develop conceptual designs of security systems.
Develop or review specifications for design or construction of security systems.
Inspect fire, intruder detection, or other security systems.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Investigative, Realistic.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (65% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (30%)
On-the-job training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (35%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Security Management Specialists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Projection education uses SOC 13-1199 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Moderate	Lower on contact with others than 57% of occupations compared	45% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	High	Higher on dealing with the public than 71% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Teamwork	Low	Lower on teamwork than 67% of occupations compared	58% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Freedom to make decisions	High	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 77% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom”
Time pressure	Moderate	Lower on time pressure than 59% of occupations compared	45% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Conflict situations	High	Higher on conflict situations than 74% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	High	Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 63% of occupations compared	37% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Moderate	Higher on consequence of error than 58% of occupations compared	32% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: moderate
Conflict situations: high
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: high
Consequence of error: moderate

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions