Standardizing Security Titles
An open-source framework for consistent job titles, levels, and expectations across the cybersecurity industry.
Why This Matters
A "Senior Security Engineer" at one company might equal a "Security Analyst II" at another. This inconsistency makes it hard to compare roles, set fair compensation, and define clear career paths. Security Titles provides a common language for the industry.
📚 Browse Role Frameworks
⚔️ Offensive Security
Penetration testers, red team analysts & engineers, purple team specialists, and offensive security management.
- Penetration Testing (7 levels)
- Red Team Analyst (7 levels)
- Red Team Engineer (7 levels)
- Purple Team (7 levels)
- Management Track (3 levels)
🛡️ Defensive Security
SOC analysts, security administrators, security engineers, architects, and defensive security management.
- SOC Analyst (4 levels)
- Security Administrator (4 levels)
- Security Engineer (6 levels)
- Security Architect (6 levels)
- Management Track (3 levels)
📋 GRC
Governance, Risk & Compliance professionals who enable the business through risk management, compliance, and policy.
- Risk Analyst (7 levels)
- Compliance Analyst (7 levels)
- Governance Analyst (7 levels)
- GRC Engineer (7 levels)
🔑 IAM
Identity and Access Management professionals covering governance, authentication, privileged access, and identity security.
- IGA, Access Mgmt, PAM, Directory Services
- CIAM, IAM Architect
- Identity Security Analyst & Engineer (ITDR)
🔬 Specialized Roles
Cross-functional and domain-specific security roles including vulnerability management, application security, cloud security, forensics, and threat intelligence.
- EVM, AppSec, CloudSec (Engineer & Architect tracks)
- Forensic Analyst, CTI Analyst & Engineer
- Coming: Info Protection, OT Security...
👔 Leadership
Executive and senior leadership roles spanning all security functions, from Director to CISO.
- Director
- Senior Director
- VP / SVP
- CISO
📊 What's Covered
Each role framework provides detailed information across multiple dimensions:
Core duties and expectations at each level
Required and preferred technical abilities
Degree equivalents and certifications
Salary ranges across sectors
Guidance received and provided
Decision-making scope and influence
🎯 Use Cases
👔 For Hiring Managers
Write accurate job descriptions, set appropriate compensation, and benchmark candidates against industry standards.
🚀 For Job Seekers
Understand where you fit, identify skill gaps, negotiate compensation, and plan your career progression.
📈 For Team Leads
Define career ladders, set promotion criteria, and create development plans for your team members.
🏢 For Organizations
Standardize titles across departments, align compensation with market rates, and build consistent job families.