Measurable metrics to monitor performance among enterprise security professionals is important to benchmark enterprise security.

With an ever-growing skills gap and need for talent within the security industry, prospective employees and students determining their career trajectories want to know: “What does the compensation look like?” While salary and compensation won’t prevent burnout or reduce on-the-job stress levels, it’s certainly an important metric within the industry that allows security peers to see where their position lies within the average.

The Foushée Group, a compensation research company has produced the Security & Compliance Compensation Survey annually for the last 19 years. The survey is designed to provide accurate and timely compensation information on 78 security and compliance positions to companies seeking to market price their positions to the national market.

The survey input is not based on self-reporting, rather the survey questionnaire is sent to Human Resource professionals who review the provided job descriptions and match their jobs to the survey position descriptions. All data reported is aligned with the Department of Justice Safe Harbor Guidelines for reporting compensation information. No individual company data is identifiable; the data is reported in weighted averages, median, percentile distributions and other pertinent data. Participating companies range in revenue size from under $500 million to over $150 billion.

Compensation Surveys are a snapshot in time, reflecting the data at the effective date of the information.

For the 2020 survey, it’s important to keep in mind that the Foushée Group requested data by the end of January, 2020, with and effective date of January 1, 2020. This means that data was already in for this year’s survey before the country felt the full effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that the world is in today. At the time the data was collected, employees were largely still working in their offices, merit schedules for 2020 were still in-tact, bonuses were being calculated and paid for, and 2019 performance and long-term incentives were being calculated for the calendar year 2019. The 2020 survey reflects a sense of normalcy in compensation due to the timing of submission and effective date.

Security asked the Foushée Group to provide some trend data from the 2020 survey, comparing it with data from five years earlier. Five jobs from the survey are highlighted here:

• Top Global Security Executive (Chief Security Officer);
• Director, Computer, Network & Information Security;
• Manager, Corporate Investigations;
• Senior Regional Manager, Domestic Security;
• Manager, Protective Forces, Armed.

The Foushée Group pulled data from the published 2015 survey and compared data points to the published 2020 survey for the same jobs. All data points (weighted average, aggregate) include base salary, total compensation (base plus bonus) and annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) target.

Top Global Security Executive
(Chief Security Officer)

When comparing reported data from the 2015 survey to the 2020 survey, the Chief Security officer (CSO) positions base pay weighted average in the aggregate increased by 7.4% over the reporting period to $341,382 annually. Base salary plus bonus decreased by 12.2% to $434,347 annually. Bonuses are pay at risk and tend to vary based on company goals, profitability and employee performance.

Most CSO positions are eligible for a Long-Term Incentive (LTI), usually paid in company stock over a set number of years, typically a rolling plan of 3 to 5 years. The LTI annual target increased by a whopping 211% over the reporting period to $307,220 annually. In this comparison, companies have slowed the base pay increase for the CSO and significantly increased LTI, focusing the executive on long-term company goals with the possibility of a significantly greater upside in LTI compensation spread over the number of years in the plan.

Director, Computer, Network & Information Security

Comparing data from the 2015 survey to the 2020 survey, the Director, Computer, Network & Information Security base pay weighted average in the aggregate increased by approximately 14.3% to $218,750 annually. Base salary plus bonus increased by 16% to $261,255, while those positions eligible for LTI, the target increased by 6.1% to $62,197.

Information security continues to have a major impact on company operations and experts at Foushée Group feel these positions will continue to be well sought after with compensation increasing at a higher than normal rate.

Manager, Corporate Investigations

Comparing data from the 2015 survey to the 2020 survey, the Manager, Corporate Investigations base pay weighted average in the aggregate increased by approximately 8.3% to $147,370 annually. Base salary plus bonus increased by 7.8% to $165,980, while those positions eligible for LTI, the target increased by 20% to $32,940 when comparing the 2015 survey numbers to 2020 numbers.

Senior Regional Manager,
Domestic Security

When comparing data from the 2015 survey to the 2020 survey, the Senior Regional Manager, Domestic Security base pay weighted average in the aggregate, increased by approximately 14.7% to $178,271 annually. Base salary plus bonus increased significantly by 24% to $224,320 while those positions eligible for LTI, the target increased by 3% to $37,523. This position manages the organizations largest geographic region security function reflected by the company’s operations in a particular area.

Manager, Protective Forces, Armed

The Manager, Protective Forces, Armed base pay weighted average in the aggregate when comparing data from the 2015 survey to the 2020 survey increased 10.3% to $127,288 annually. Base salary plus bonus increased by 11.2% to $139,848 while most of those surveyed reported the positions ineligible for an LTI grant.

Based on the data reported, most security positions have increased base pay, bonus, and long-term incentives as companies try to maintain a competitive market position. Many factors influence the reporting numbers, such as company participation, market timing, ability to pay, compensation philosophy and value of the position to the company. Security leaders are wise to participate in a compensation survey typically housed in their Human Resources (HR) group. The first question leadership should ask HR is “are my jobs market priced annually and if not, why not?” In today’s market, a company can ill afford not to understand market conditions as it relates to human capital.

The Security & Compliance Survey

The survey solicits data and the competitive practices of 78 positions in security and compliance. Current security and compliance job families include:

• Classified Materials/Material Controls • Corporate Investigation
• Console Operator
• Computer & Information Security
• Domestic Security
• Emergency Preparedness
• Executive Protection
• Global Compliance & Ethics
• Global Security
• International Security
• Network Security
• Nuclear Accountability
• Physical Security-Unarmed
• Product Security
• Protective Forces-Armed
• Regional/Business Unit Security
• Regulatory Compliance
• Security Clearance
• Security Programs
• Security Systems & Training
• Threat Analysis

For next year’s numbers, the 2021 survey launched in November and participant deadline is January 31, 2021. The survey will publish in March 2021.

According to the Foushée Group, organizations may participate for free, and can purchase the comprehensive survey report, which includes a hardcopy and e-version of the report.

For additional information on participating in the 2021 survey and report, visit www.fousheesurvey.com or contact Steve Walker at 239-282-1929.