Security Manager

Part of the Cybersecurity Career Guide — This article is one deep-dive in our complete guide series.

By HADESS Team | February 28, 2026 | Updated: February 28, 2026 | 5 min read

You lead a security team and manage a portion of the organization’s security program. You hire, coach, and retain security professionals. You translate strategy from the CISO into operational execution, manage projects, and make sure your team delivers results. This is where technical expertise meets people management.

What You Will Do

Security management is about multiplying the effectiveness of your team. You balance technical oversight with people management, project delivery, and cross-functional coordination.

Your daily responsibilities include:

• Managing a team of security analysts, engineers, or specialists
• Conducting one-on-ones, performance reviews, and career development conversations
• Planning and prioritizing security projects and initiatives
• Managing the team’s budget — tools, training, headcount requests
• Coordinating with other IT and business teams on security requirements
• Escalating and managing security incidents that require cross-team coordination
• Reporting security metrics and program status to senior leadership
• Hiring and onboarding new team members
• Removing blockers and ensuring the team has what they need to succeed
• Managing vendor relationships and evaluating new security tools
• Developing and maintaining operational playbooks and procedures
• Participating in change management and architecture review boards

You still need enough technical knowledge to understand what your team is doing, ask the right questions, and make good decisions. But your primary job is making other people successful.

Skills You Need

Security managers need a blend of technical security knowledge and leadership ability.

Key skills:

• People management — hiring, coaching, feedback, performance management
• Project management — planning, execution, stakeholder management
• Security program operations — running day-to-day security functions
• Budget management — resource allocation, vendor negotiation, ROI analysis
• Risk-based decision making — prioritizing work based on business risk
• Cross-functional communication — working with IT, development, legal, and business teams
• Metrics and reporting — measuring team performance and security outcomes
• Technical breadth — enough knowledge to lead technical discussions and evaluate solutions

Build these in the skills library and see management career progression in the career path explorer.

Certifications

Security management certifications demonstrate both domain expertise and management capability:

• CISSP — the most widely recognized security certification, expected for managers
• CISM — Certified Information Security Manager, specifically designed for management roles
• PMP — Project Management Professional, proves formal project management skills

Plan your certification path with the certification roadmap planner.

Salary Range

Security managers earn between $80K and $150K. Compensation depends on team size, scope of responsibility, industry, and location. Managers who oversee multiple functions (SOC, IR, vulnerability management) or manage larger teams earn at the higher end. This role is the most common stepping stone to director and CISO positions.

See where you stand with the salary calculator.

How to Get Started

1. Build 5-8 years of hands-on security experience — you need credibility to lead a technical team 2. Take on leadership responsibilities — mentor juniors, lead projects, run meetings 3. Take the skills assessment to identify gaps in management and leadership skills 4. Practice presenting to non-technical audiences — this skill separates managers from individual contributors 5. Get CISSP and then CISM — plan the sequence with the certification planner 6. Learn project management fundamentals — even without PMP, structured project skills matter 7. Study the labs to stay technically current while developing leadership skills 8. Build your resume emphasizing team leadership, project delivery, and business impact 9. Search for security team lead or security manager roles on the job board

Transitioning from individual contributor to manager is a real shift. If you want guidance on whether management is right for you, talk to the career coach.

Related Guides in This Series

• CISO: Lead Security Strategy Across the Organization — HADESS | 2026
• Cyber Intelligence Specialist: Turn Data into Actionable Intelligence — HADESS | 2026

Take the Next Step

Start your career assessment. Go to the start your career assessment on HADESS.

Explore career paths. Check out the explore career paths.

Get started free — Create your HADESS account and access all career tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

What certifications do I need for this role?

Certification requirements vary by employer and seniority level. Use the certification roadmap planner to build a sequence based on your target role and current qualifications.

What is the salary range for this role?

Salaries vary significantly by location, experience, and employer type. Use the salary calculator for your specific market rate.

How do I transition into this career path?

Take the skills assessment to identify your current strengths and gaps relative to this role. The assessment generates a personalized learning plan to close the gap.

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HADESS Team consists of cybersecurity practitioners, hiring managers, and career strategists who have collectively spent 50+ years in the field.