NCJ Number
91118
Journal
Security World Volume: 20 Issue: 8 Dated: (August 1983) Pages: 53-59,62-68,70-74
Date Published
1983
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study compares 1980 and 1983 surveys that profile security directors by industry in the areas of age, education, experience, staff, equipment, budget, salary, and benefits.
Abstract
In the 1983 survey, 1,500 questionnaires were mailed to security personnel with titles of manager, director, assistant administrator, administrator, or vice president. A total of 320 (21 percent) usable replies were received. The industry groups represented and compared with a similar 1980 survey were manufacturing, retail, health care, financial, education, hotel/motel, and other (miscellaneous private-industry groups). Today's security director is not quite 44, younger by half a year than in 1980, and although it remains a male dominated field, a gain of 3 to 4 percent was achieved by females since 1980. As a group, security directors are married, but there has been a noticeable shift toward living alone. Of the geographical areas of the country classified as West, North Central, Northeast, and South, the North Central and Northeast regions hold the highest percentage of security directors (31.8 percent and 29 percent respectively). The percentage of directors holding a bachelor's degree jumped 5 percent, from 21 percent to 26 percent of the total, and more directors have a police background than any other single type of experience, although the percentage having such a background has dropped from 43 to 39 percent. Manufacturing and retailing businesses provide the most security director jobs. Staff is shrinking with the economy. Salary is up 15 percent in 4 years (currently averaging $31,300). Dental insurance leads the improvement in benefits, and bonus-type benefits average $1,900, but only about half of the respondents receive such benefits. All the data are presented in tabular form.