How To Become A Personnel Security Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a personnel security specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

A personnel security specialist ensures the safety and security of an organization's employees, assets, and information. This involves conducting background checks, evaluating risks, and implementing security measures. Personnel security specialists work with management to develop policies that minimize risk and protect sensitive information. They also investigate security breaches and work with law enforcement agencies to prosecute perpetrators. Additionally, personnel security specialists train employees on security awareness and best practices for protecting company assets.

ScorePersonnel Security SpecialistUS Average

Salary

6.2

Avg. Salary $78,967

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.5

Growth Rate 32%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.43%

Asian 9.64%

Black or African American 9.15%

Hispanic or Latino 8.99%

Unknown 6.09%

White 65.70%

Gender

female 60.34%

male 39.66%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress Level

6.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.4

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.9

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Personnel Security Specialist?

Pros

High demand for personnel security specialists
Good pay and benefits
Exposure to interesting and sensitive information
Possibility of travel and international work
Collaboration with law enforcement agencies

Cons

High level of responsibility and accountability
High stress environment due to the nature of the job
The need to make difficult decisions that can have serious consequences
High level of paperwork and administrative duties
Risk of exposure to traumatic or disturbing information

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Key steps to become a personnel security specialist

Explore personnel security specialist education requirements

Most common personnel security specialist degrees

Bachelor's

55.7 %

Associate

19.1 %

Master's

12.6 %

Start to develop specific personnel security specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
SCI	7.41%
JPAS	6.63%
E-QIP	5.42%
DOD	5.36%
Personnel Security	5.08%

Complete relevant personnel security specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New personnel security specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a personnel security specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real personnel security specialist resumes.

Research personnel security specialist duties and responsibilities

Implement group policies to manage domain / PC / user security.
Manage servers to include Cisco ACS (access control server), and external DNS server.
Manage multiple security programs and systems in accordance with NISPOM, DCID, M1 and JAFAN guidance.
Support all the applications deploy through the F5 LTM along with the configuration and the managing role.

Prepare your personnel security specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your personnel security specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a personnel security specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Personnel Security Specialist Resume templates

Build a professional Personnel Security Specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Personnel Security Specialist resume.

Apply for personnel security specialist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a personnel security specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average personnel security specialist salary

The average Personnel Security Specialist salary in the United States is $78,967 per year or $38 per hour. Personnel security specialist salaries range between $49,000 and $124,000 per year.

Average Personnel Security Specialist Salary

$78,967 Yearly

$37.96 hourly

How do personnel security specialists rate their job?