Security Awareness Training Specialist

Impact: Risk reduction

Designs and delivers cybersecurity awareness programs for organizations, creating phishing simulations, training content, and behavior change campaigns to reduce human-factor security risks.

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What does a Security Awareness Training Specialist do?

What the work is really like

You spend most of your time trying to change how people think about email, passwords, and links. You design phishing simulations that land in real inboxes, write training modules that explain social engineering in plain language, and run campaigns that aim to make security feel like common sense rather than a chore. The work sits between the security operations team and the rest of the organisation. Your job is to close the gap between policy and behaviour.

A typical week mixes content creation, data analysis, and live delivery. You might record a short video explaining credential stuffing, configure a simulated phishing campaign in KnowBe4 or Proofpoint, review click rates from last month's test, and present findings to department heads who want to know why their team keeps failing. You also field questions from employees who reported a suspicious email or clicked something they shouldn't have. Some of those conversations are tense. Most are just people who want to do the right thing but do not yet know what that looks like.

The problems you solve are repetitive but never identical. One quarter the issue is executives sharing login credentials with assistants. Another quarter it is warehouse staff falling for fake vendor invoices. You tailor content to different audiences because a developer's threat model looks nothing like a nurse's. The work asks for creativity within narrow constraints. You cannot scare people into compliance, and you cannot bore them into attention.

Skills and strengths that matter

You need fluency with phishing simulation platforms, learning management systems, and basic metrics dashboards. You pull reports, configure campaigns, and troubleshoot why a test email did not deploy. The technical bar is moderate. You are not writing code or analysing malware, though you do need enough cybersecurity literacy to explain attack vectors accurately and enough comfort with software to manage a training stack.

The harder skill is communication. You translate technical risk into language that lands with people who do not think about InfoSec daily. That means writing clear emails, designing slides that do not feel like a compliance lecture, and presenting to rooms where half the audience thinks this training is a waste of time. You also need empathy. People feel embarrassed when they fall for a test, and your tone in that moment determines whether they learn or disengage.

Creativity matters more here than in most security roles, because you are competing for attention against actual work. If your training feels generic or preachy, people tune out. Video production skills help, and so does a sense of humour. Persuasion is constant. You are asking people to change habits that feel inconvenient, and you rarely have authority to compel them.

Who tends to thrive here

This role suits people who like teaching but want a defined subject and a measurable outcome. You spend a lot of time with people, though most interactions are structured: a training session, a one-on-one coaching conversation, a workshop for new hires. If you prefer deep technical work or long stretches of solo focus, this will feel shallow. If you like variety and the psychology of behaviour change, it fits.

You work well here if you can stay patient with repetition. You will explain the same concept dozens of times, send the same reminder every quarter, and watch someone click a simulated phishing link three months after your last training and need to reset without frustration. People who need novelty or rapid mastery tend to lose interest.

The role skews toward communicators who drifted toward security rather than security professionals who learned to teach. It appeals to former teachers, corporate trainers, and communications specialists who want a niche with clear demand. Remote work is common. Stress is moderate except during audit season or after a real breach, when your program suddenly gets scrutinised.

How people get into the role and grow

Most people enter with a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity, communications, education, or a related field. Security+ certification is standard. Some employers want a training-focused credential like CTIA or ATD. A portfolio of sample training materials or proof of campaign results can substitute for formal credentials if you have adjacent experience in corporate training or technical writing.

Entry-level roles often sit inside a larger security team. You assist with campaign setup, update training content, and monitor completion rates. After two to three years, you take ownership of the full program: strategy, content, vendor relationships, and reporting. Mid-career specialists often manage a small team or oversee awareness across several business units. The work becomes more about influence and less about production.

Senior roles move toward culture building. You design long-term behaviour change programs, advise on policy, and report to the CISO or risk committee. Some move into security leadership. Others shift into adjacent fields like GRC, internal communications, or learning and development, where security becomes one of several focus areas. Demand is growing as breaches tied to human error stay common, though the role remains smaller and more specialised than core security engineering. Long-term outlook is stable with modest growth, and remote flexibility makes it easier to stay in the field across life changes. If any of this sounds like the work you would actually want to do, CareerMatch can tell you how closely it lines up with the six dimensions already inside you.

From people working as a Security Awareness Training Specialist

It's all about changing behavior, not just checking boxes. You're constantly trying to make security engaging and relevant, which means a lot of creative thinking and adapting to new threats. Phishing simulations are key, but the real win is when people start thinking securely on their own.

Researched from SANS Security Awareness Report 2023, Cybersecurity Awareness Month campaigns, Industry forums and discussions

A day in the life of a Security Awareness Training Specialist

People interaction
Extensive
Team vs solo
45% Team / 55% Solo
Client facing
Frequent
Impact visibility
High
Travel
Low-Moderate
Schedule flexibility
Flexible
Remote work
Mostly Remote
Typical work hours
40-45
Stress level
Moderate

Security Awareness Training Specialist salary, education and outlook at a glance

Median salary
$69,280
Direct occupation
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 National OEWS · SOC 13-1151.00
Entry-level
$38,760
Senior
$123,250
Growth by 2033
8%
Demand
Growing
Freelance potential
Moderate
10th-to-90th percentile pay range
218% from entry to senior
Typical student debt
Moderate

Skills you need as a Security Awareness Training Specialist

Hard skills

  • Phishing Simulation Platforms (KnowBe4/Proofpoint)
  • Training Content Development
  • LMS Administration
  • Metrics/Reporting
  • Social Engineering Awareness
  • Policy Communication
  • Video/Multimedia Production

Soft skills

  • Communication
  • Presentation Skills
  • Creativity
  • Empathy
  • Persuasion

Technical complexity: Moderate

Tools a Security Awareness Training Specialist uses

Core tools

  • KnowBe4 (Platform): Manages and executes phishing simulations and security awareness training.
  • Proofpoint Security Awareness Training (Platform): Provides security awareness training modules and phishing defense.
  • Articulate Storyline (Software): Develops interactive e-learning content for security awareness programs.

Commonly used

  • Learning Management Systems (LMS) (Platform): Administers and tracks security awareness training completion.
  • Adobe Creative Suite (Software): Creates engaging visual and multimedia content for training materials.

Specialist tools

  • Microsoft 365 Security Center (Platform): Monitors security posture and integrates with awareness campaigns.
  • Google Workspace Security (Platform): Manages security settings and integrates with awareness campaigns.

Software worth learning

HR teams that hire across borders run payroll, contracts and compliance through Deel.

How to become a Security Awareness Training Specialist

Minimum education
Bachelor's Degree
Licensing
No professional license required
CompTIA Security+, SANS SSAP certifications recommended
Years to mid-career
5-9
Years to senior
8-8
Career switching
Easy

Where a Security Awareness Training Specialist comes from

  • Security Analyst: Often transitions from identifying threats to educating users about them.
  • IT Trainer: Leverages training expertise to focus specifically on security topics.
  • Communications Specialist: Applies communication skills to convey complex security concepts to a broad audience.
  • Instructional Designer: Uses instructional design principles to create effective security awareness content.

Where a Security Awareness Training Specialist goes next

  • Senior Security Awareness Manager: Advances to lead larger security awareness programs and teams.
  • Cybersecurity Consultant: Consults with various organizations on their security awareness strategies.
  • Information Security Officer: Moves into a broader role overseeing all aspects of information security.
  • Learning & Development Specialist: Expands focus to general organizational learning and development, with a security specialization.

Typical Security Awareness Training Specialist progression

  1. Security Analyst
  2. Awareness Specialist
  3. Senior Awareness Manager
  4. Director of Security Culture
  5. CISO / VP of Security

Security Awareness Training Specialist job outlook and future demand

Automation probability
0.7694
AI disruption risk
High
Demand trend
Growing

Job satisfaction as a Security Awareness Training Specialist

Overall satisfaction
7/10
Meaning
7.5/10
Work-life balance
7/10
Prestige
9/10
Social perception
Moderate

Where a Security Awareness Training Specialist finds community

Professional organisations

Podcasts and media

Reddit communities

  • r/securityawareness: A Reddit community for discussions and resources related to security awareness.

Online communities

Questions people ask about a Security Awareness Training Specialist

How much does a Security Awareness Training Specialist earn?

Pay for a Security Awareness Training Specialist starts around $38,760 at entry level, reaches $69,280 at the median and climbs to $123,250 for the most experienced.

What qualifications does a Security Awareness Training Specialist need?

Most employers look for a Bachelor's Degree, no professional license required and reaching mid-career takes about 5-9 years.

Can a Security Awareness Training Specialist work remotely?

Most of the work happens remotely. Remote-friendly role: content design, simulations, and analytics are easily done remotely, though onsite delivery or in-person workshops may be required for some clients or large organizations.

Is demand for Security Awareness Training Specialist growing?

Projections put employment growth at 8% through 2033, with demand rated Growing. Demand is faster than average as organizations invest in human-focused cybersecurity defenses and compliance-driven training programs; demand is especially strong in regulated industries.

Is Security Awareness Training Specialist at risk from automation?

This work carries a high risk of disruption from AI. Low-moderate automation risk: platforms can automate phishing campaigns and basic content delivery, but customizing behavior-change programs, assessing culture, and interpreting results require human expertise.

Is Security Awareness Training Specialist a stressful job?

Stress is rated moderate for this work. Stress is low-moderate: project timelines and incident-response training drives occasional spikes, but day-to-day work is balanced and predictable compared with incident response roles.

What is the difference between a Security Awareness Training Specialist and a Learning & Development Specialist?

Learning & Development Specialist is the closest adjacent role and a common next step from a Security Awareness Training Specialist: expands focus to general organizational learning and development, with a security specialization.

What does a typical day look like for a Security Awareness Training Specialist?

It's all about changing behavior, not just checking boxes.

How hard is it to switch into Security Awareness Training Specialist from another career?

Switching into this work from another career is rated easy. The entry requirement of a Bachelor's Degree sets the floor for anyone coming from another field.

Does a Security Awareness Training Specialist need a professional license?

No professional license required. CompTIA Security+, SANS SSAP certifications recommended.

Careers similar to Security Awareness Training Specialist

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