NEWS

Median Compensation Up 6 percent for Security Professionals in 2010

By Mike Moran
08/09/2010 -

After dipping slightly in 2009, wages for security professionals are on the rise again, with median compensation for 2010 reaching $93,000, a 6 percent increase, according to the ASIS U.S. Security Salary Survey Results, 2010. Respondents who had a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) certification earned a median $118,000 in 2010.

 
The average compensation for all respondents was $108,000 (the median salary is the mid-point of the range of reported compensation. The average salary is the simply the sum of dollars divided by the count of the people). 2010 marks a continuation of a 5-year trend in which average compensation for salaried security professionals has risen 19 percent from $88,000 in 2006 to the current $108,000 this year.
 
The bottom rung of earners—those in the 10th percentile—rose from $46,000 in 2009 to $52,000 in 2010, and those at the top of the scale—the 90th percentile—saw their compensation go from $163,000 to $180,000.

There are many factors that can impact earnings. One is whether the employer is in the government sector or the private sector. Because the upside in the private sector is far greater than the upside in the public/government sector, the data show a spread in the medians and averages for those two groups.

The federal government/law enforcement sector has a median compensation of $101,000, compared to a median of $90,000 for privately held companies and $100,000 for publicly held (stock) corporations. The average compensation in this sector is 11 percent higher, describing a relatively even distribution of the total compensation pool. In this sector the 10th percentile earned $82,000 and the 90th percentile earned $155,000. 

(Excerpted from the August print edition of Security Management magazine.)

Mike Moran is special projects editor. The full results of the ASIS U.S. Security Salary Survey Results, 2010 will be published in October 2010 and available first at the seminar and exhibits in Dallas—members: $135; nonmembers: $195. The results book breaks out responses in 11 industries and 9 geographic regions. Each section drills down into 18 specific factors that affect compensation such as education, experience, company revenue, and job responsibilities. Survey participants can claim a $50 discount by emailing ASISOrders@abdintl.com or calling 412/741-1495 to order.

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