OT / ICS Cybersecurity
OT, SCADA and ICS Security Engineers and NERC CIP Architects
Operational technology, SCADA and ICS security engineers and NERC CIP architects.
Built for cisos and ot security leaders at utilities, pipelines, manufacturers and ot security firms, and for the ics/scada security engineers, nerc cip architects, ot security architects and ot incident responders they are trying to hire.
Our commitments
Calibrated
Shortlist after the search plan
In writing
Replacement guarantee per your engagement agreement
Engaged Fee
100% credited toward final placement invoice
Cost of Vacancy ROI Calculator
Cost of Vacancy Calculator
Every number below comes from the inputs you set. Start from your own billable rate or delay cost.
Starting value is an assumption; replace it with yours. Modeled at 45 billable hours per seat per week.
Intake to start date. Offers, notice periods, and onboarding add time.
Your assumption. Set it to 0% to count unbilled revenue only.
Weekly Unbilled Revenue Bleed
$6,750
1 seat x $150/hr x 45
Total Vacancy Cost over 14 Weeks
$111,510
Including the 18% team load you set
Estimated Cost Avoided
$47,790
6 weeks sooner than waiting
Standard 25% Placement Fee
$32,295
On $129,180 assumed first-year comp per seat
Cost Avoided vs. Fee (illustrative)
1.5x
On your inputs, the cost avoided exceeds the fee by $15,495.
Illustrative calculation from the numbers you enter, not a guarantee of savings or results. Cost avoided counts only the weeks the seat would stay open beyond the search time you set. Fees are 15 to 30% of first-year compensation, with engagement fees starting at $3,500. 100% of engagement fees are credited in full toward your final placement invoice, backed by a written replacement guarantee per your engagement agreement.
Inside OT Cyber Search
Pay Index
Model base, contract hourly rate and per diem for ics/scada security engineers, nerc cip architects, ot security architects and ot incident responders.
Run the numbers →Talent Vault
Sample profiles that show the credentials and experience we recruit for.
Browse the vault →Vacancy Cost Report
What an open seat costs each week on your own numbers, against a 25% placement fee, plus the 2026 market report.
Price your vacancy →
Frequently asked questions
How much does an OT security engineer make?
No published survey separates OT pay. The closest federal data is BLS for all information security analysts: a May 2025 median of $129,180, a middle half of $97,810 to $163,500, and a 90th percentile of $199,850. Experienced OT specialists with controls backgrounds generally sit in the upper half.
What certifications do OT security engineers need?
The most requested are GIAC's GICSP and GRID and the ISA/IEC 62443 certificates (the 62443 Cybersecurity Expert designation requires four certificates), often alongside CISSP. Hands-on controls or substation experience usually matters more than any single credential.
How do I hire a NERC CIP architect?
Look for someone who has owned CIP evidence through a regional entity audit, not only written policy, and who can plan for CIP-015 internal network security monitoring.
What is a conflict check?
Before we share an identified candidate, we confirm they don't currently work for your company or its affiliates, and we ask the candidate about anything, such as a notice period or an agreement with a current employer, that could affect the timing of a move. We don't agree with any employer to avoid recruiting another employer's people, and we never share one client's pay data with another.
What does an open OT security seat cost?
If you backfill an open seat with contractors at an assumed $150 an hour for 45 hours a week, that is $6,750 a week per seat before any overtime load on the team. Your rate will differ, so the calculator uses the numbers you enter.
Why are OT cybersecurity professionals hard to hire?
OT security needs both industrial controls experience and security skills, and few people have both. NERC CIP-015 monitoring requirements, pipeline security directives and customer expectations around IEC 62443 are adding demand faster than that workforce grows.