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

What is a security director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A security director oversees an organization's security program. They develop and implement security policies to protect people, assets, and information. A security director manages security personnel, conducts risk assessments, and develops emergency plans. They also work with internal and external stakeholders to ensure compliance with regulations and industry standards. A security director needs strong leadership skills, communication, and critical thinking. They stay up-to-date with emerging threats and technologies to maintain security and protect an organization.

ScoreSecurity DirectorUS Average

Salary

8.0

Avg. Salary $114,844

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

10.0

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 7.91%

Black or African American 7.77%

Hispanic or Latino 13.04%

Unknown 4.71%

White 65.90%

Gender

female 9.26%

male 90.74%

Age - 47

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 - 47

Stress Level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.4

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Security Director?

Pros

Job stability
Opportunity for advancement
Variety of tasks and responsibilities
Opportunities to travel or work in different locations
Ability to work in a fast-paced and exciting environment

Cons

High stress levels and pressure to perform well
Long and irregular hours, including nights and weekends
Potential for dangerous situations and physical harm
Potential for legal liability in case of security breaches or incidents
Tension between security and privacy concerns

Key steps to become a security director

Explore security director education requirements

Most common security director degrees

Bachelor's

51.5 %

Associate

21.6 %

Master's

11.0 %

Start to develop specific security director skills

Skills	Percentages
Oversight	6.54%
Security Operations	6.14%
Customer Service	6.13%
Risk Management	5.51%
Cloud Security	5.10%

Complete relevant security director training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New security directors 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 security director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real security director resumes.

Gain additional security director certifications

Security director certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific security director certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for security directors include Certified Law Enforcement Analysts (CLEA) and Security 5 Certification.

More About Certifications

Research security director duties and responsibilities

Manage and coordinate all securities lending and match book business within RCap.
Work for and in Devops teams to automate cloud deployments and system processes.
Achieve market leadership, resulting in the top ranking of inter-dealer securities brokers on the street.
Manage supervisors and security officers including selection, scheduling, payroll, development and support.

Get security director experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a security director. The most common roles before becoming a security director include security officer, police officer team lead and security manager.

Prepare your security director resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your security director 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 security director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Security Director Resume templates

Build a professional Security Director 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 Security Director resume.

Apply for security director jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a security director 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

How do security directors rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Security Director reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2021

Pros

Providing training on professionalism, cultural diversity, emergency management protocols, fire and emergency evacuation, directing a team of professional security officers and and supervisors. Working as one team.

Cons

Untrained individuals with no background in security Interfering with security operations. that put life and property at risk. Folk who fail to take security and safety serious.