Security & Investigations · C-Suite · 12 to 18 years typical
Family Office CISO Salary
Annual base compensation, national and by market, from 258 named sources. Every figure below says where it came from.
| Market | Multiplier | P25 | P50 | P75 | P90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | 1.40× | $250,000 | $390,000 | $560,000 | $670,000 |
| San Francisco, CA | 1.30× | $235,000 | $365,000 | $520,000 | $620,000 |
| Boston, MA | 1.25× | $225,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 | $590,000 |
| Palm Beach, FL | 1.25× | $225,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 | $590,000 |
| Miami, FL | 1.23× | $220,000 | $345,000 | $490,000 | $580,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 1.20× | $215,000 | $335,000 | $480,000 | $570,000 |
| Washington, DC | 1.20× | $215,000 | $335,000 | $480,000 | $570,000 |
| Seattle, WA | 1.15× | $205,000 | $320,000 | $460,000 | $550,000 |
| Chicago, IL | 1.05× | $190,000 | $295,000 | $420,000 | $500,000 |
| Dallas, TX | 1.00× | $180,000 | $280,000 | $400,000 | $475,000 |
Time to fill 20 weeks for comparable searches, estimated from rouka's benchmark set.
Rare as full-time hire but growing rapidly. The convergence of personal and financial data at family offices makes them uniquely attractive targets. Most family offices lack sophisticated security infrastructure per EY research. JPMorgan 2024 found 24% breached, 20% with zero cybersecurity measures. Full-time role emerges at $5B+ AUM single-family offices. Below that threshold, fractional/vCISO model dominates. Requires both technical cybersecurity expertise AND understanding of UHNW family dynamics, privacy requirements, and multi-generational governance. CISSP is baseline credential. Former government cybersecurity leadership (NSA, CISA, FBI Cyber Division) is premium pipeline.
What does a Family Office CISO do?
The Family Office CISO operates providing executive protection, threat assessment, and security operations for high-net-worth families, corporate principals, or private organizations. Professionals in this role typically bring 12 to 18 years of relevant experience. Classified at the C-Suite level, this position draws from a very tight candidate market with an estimated pool of 20-60 qualified professionals, making targeted sourcing and competitive compensation critical for successful placements.
What drives Family Office CISO compensation?
The median (P50) compensation for a Family Office CISO is $280,000, with the 25th to 75th percentile range spanning $180,000 to $400,000. The 79% spread between P25 and P75 reflects significant pay variation driven by principal risk profile, domestic vs. international travel requirements, team size managed, security clearance level, and specialized training in surveillance detection or threat mitigation. Demand for this role is trending upward with 20% year-over-year growth, which is putting upward pressure on compensation at all levels.
Family Office CISO career path
Professionals who move into Family Office CISO roles most commonly come from military special operations, federal law enforcement, intelligence agencies, or corporate security departments. From this position, the typical trajectory leads toward director of security for large family offices, corporate security leadership, or independent security consulting. The average tenure in this role is approximately 4 years, with an annual turnover rate of 15%.
Hiring a Family Office CISO?
A search playbook for this seat: compensation positioning against the band above, the sourcing map, and the interview framework.