Growing the Security Talent Pipeline

SIA’s efforts to grow the workforce of tomorrow

The Security Industry Association (SIA) is a leader in advancing the security industry through fostering the security talent pipeline. Through partnering with the Electronic Security Association to create the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent, embarking on the first-ever SIA Wage & Benefits Benchmarking Study, leading the security industry toward gender parity and bringing more women to the field, strengthening its student outreach and growing the RISE community for young security talent and those new to the industry, SIA is leading the charge in advancing tomorrow’s security workforce.


What SIA Is Doing

SIA has many active initiatives related to workforce development in the security industry. Explore these resources and learn about opportunities to enter the security industry.


SIA Academic Memberships for Students and Faculty

SIA created academic memberships for students to educate them about the security industry and to network with potential employers. SIA plans to target trade, technical and community college and engineering program students as potential members. Meanwhile, SIA academic memberships for faculty help professors connect directly with industry to stay atop trends and align educational requirements with future employers' needs. Faculty also can take advantage of options for publication and networking.

View ACADEMIC MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS »


2020 Wage & Benefits Benchmarking Study

The SIA Wage & Benefits Benchmarking Study is an important study conducted by SIA for its members. The survey, which was researched in 2019 and 2020 and released in August 2020, collects information on salary and annual pay compensation for 44 job titles as well as data on benefits offerings in the security industry. The report is designed to allow companies to easily compare their salary, compensation and benefits offerings with their peers and studied common roles at security integrator/installing companies and security manufacturers/solutions developers.

ACCESS THE STUDY »


Security Industry Careers Guide

To help make students and others aware of employment opportunities within the security industry, SIA has produced a guide to career opportunities guide for typical industry employment positions at security systems integrators and security solutions manufacturers.

ACCESS the CAREERS GUIDE »


Employer's Complete Guide to Hiring

Produced exclusively for SIA by Matterhorn Consulting as a benefit to members, this 12-step reference guide to hiring employees covers the entire hiring process, from identifying the correct cultural fit to interviews, job offers and negotiations and even includes bonus material about onboarding and best managing an employee’s first 90 days. Written as a tutorial and augmented with extensive indexes, this report provides a step-by-step guide to help your company make better hiring decisions based on your specific needs.

ACCESS the HIRING GUIDE »


Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST)

In 2020, SIA joined forces with the Electronic Security Association (ESA) to launch the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designed to promote careers in the physical security technology and life safety industry. FAST connects passionate, innovative professionals with new opportunities in electronic security and life safety. The FAST website offers job seekers information about the security industry’s growth and unique position at the convergence of cutting-edge technology and a mission that matters, the types of roles available in the industry and what employers are looking for and a jobs board featuring immediate opportunities in security technology and life safety.

Learn More About FAST »


Connecting Young Professionals With SIA RISE

SIA RISE is a community that fosters the careers of young professionals in the security industry. The group is available to all employees at SIA member companies who are young professionals under 40 or have been in the security industry for less than two years. RISE offers a scholarship program to help young people expand their professional knowledge, the Talent Inclusion Mentorship Education (TIME) program for early and mid-career professionals, fun in-person and virtual networking events, career growth webinars and trade show education tracks and the annual AcceleRISE conference – an essential experienced designed to ignite new thinking, strengthen leadership and sharpen business acumen in young security talent.

JOIN RISE »


Fostering a More Inclusive, Diversified Industry With the Women in Security Forum

The SIA Women in Security Forum is a community open to all SIA members that works to engage all security professionals to promote, recruit and cultivate the leadership of women. The SIA Women in Security Forum offers a number of key programs and activities, including the SIA Women in Security Forum Scholarship, which furthers educational opportunities and promotes advancement for the widest spectrum of people possible in the security industry; the SIA Progress Award, which celebrates individuals who advance opportunities for women in the security industry; the SIA Women in Security Forum keynote event at ISC West; volunteer efforts that give back to the community; a virtual education series; collaborative projects with other organizations that seek to empower women in the security and technology fields; sponsorship of the Women in Biometrics Awards, which recognize distinguished female leaders in the biometric identity and security industry; thought leadership and speaking opportunities; and engaging networking and professional growth events.

JOIN the Women in Security Forum »

Engaging With HR Professionals and Industry Stakeholders

SIA continually reaches out to business leaders, students, and associations representing the technical education community as well as human resources professionals, who represent the front lines of hiring, to exchange ideas and to engage them in aspects of this plan. Are you an HR professional? We want you to work with us to grow the talent pipeline.