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The Security Salary Reality

The critical dos, and some definite don'ts, for negotiating a great compensation package.

Remember, companies are still evaluating you during this process. If you ask too much, you'll strain your relationships with your future employer or, worse, cause the company to rescind the offer. "That's a worst-case scenario, but it has happened," Lavinder says.

DO try to get the employer to mention a number first.

When the moment arrives and it looks like the employer wants you, it's common sense to try to get the employer to give a number first. "The biggest mistake you can make is telling them what you want, because that locks you in," says a financial services Chief Security Officer who recently changed jobs. "Theyre not going to go higher than whatever number you put down."

If you're pressed for a number, he suggests offering a range rather than a target. "It has to be a broad range," says the executive, who requested anonymity because he didn't want to compromise his position with a new employer. "You say, Up to this number depending on what the overall job responsibilities are."

But don't be coy about what you're making currently. And, for goodness sake, don't lie. Expect the human resources department at your current employer to confirm three things: your title, your dates of employment and your compensation. If you lie, Brennan warns, "It will come back and bite you. You don't want to go into a job on a fictitious premise, especially in this field."

DON'T believe everything you hear about what others are making.

Nearly everyone warns about paying too much attention to salary surveys; they just can't agree on whether the numbers track too high or too low.

Recruiter Jeff Snyder, president of Human Capital Solutions, says that security salary surveys often come in higher than the reality, especially when theyre done by recruiting firms. "Say John is making $45,000, and the survey says he should be making $60,000," Snyder says. "What do you think John might be inclined to do? Call the firm and say, 'I want one of those jobs.' You have to look at the source and figure out if there could be a hidden agenda."

On the flip side, others say that security industry salary surveys, like the one done by ASIS International, tend to come in low. "The ASIS survey includes jobs that arent really CSO positions," says the financial services CSO who recently changed jobs. "A lot of individual hotels or stores might have a director of security, but it's not really a director or Chief Security Officer position; it just gets classified that way. It brings down those salaries" of people who are true security executives, he says.