Cyber Security Salary: How Much Can you Make Working in Cyber Security
With more and more people wanting to work in the cybersecurity industry, there are a lot of lucrative jobs available for professionals. This article will englighten you on cyber security professional salary, does cyber security pay well, how much do cyber security make, it security salary, it cyber security salary, entry level cyber security salary and cyber salary in totality.
Cyber security is a big business, and the field has been growing massively in recent years. In 2015 Burning Glass Technologies found that cyber security professionals make about 9% more than other IT workers.
The shortage of qualified cyber security professionals is a major problem that has been hindering companies from effectively combating current industry threats. As David Shearer, CEO of ISC² notes in the press release on GISWS findings, 66% percent of workers surveyed say they have too few qualified staff to combat these challenges.
In 2017, there are about 780,000 cybersecurity professionals in the U.S., with 350,000 current openings and a zero percent unemployment rate.
The cyber security field has been experiencing major growth in the last few years and is projected to grow even more.
Most cyber security roles today are focused on protecting networks and data.
There are many different types of cyber security jobs, and all require strong communication skills and deep knowledge in the field.
Cyber security professionals risk becoming obsolete in a few short years because of their lack of current, advanced expertise. The threat landscape will continue to evolve even more so than it does now. As the future progresses, there are both traditional and newer roles that cyber security experts can take on such as being incident response specialists or malware analysts.
Here are a few of the skills needed for some popular jobs right now.
Security architects are responsible for preventing future attacks. They also must stay up to date on the latest threats and security tools.
There is a high demand for malware analysts because of the rise in ransomware attacks, like WannaCry which caused $4 billion worth of damages. So many companies are hiring them that there’s not enough talent to go around.
IT Security Engineers are in charge of quality control within IT environments, which helps to ensure that security measures are in place for new threats.
The demand for cyber security experts is high, so many companies are turning to outside consultants.
So, you’re probably asking, “How much do cyber security professionals make??”
Here’s a breakdown from LinkedIn:
Security is a growing need in the job market, and more companies are turning to cloud storage for their mission-critical applications.
In order to be a good security incident responder, you need to have curiosity about the motive behind an attack so that you can create efficient responses. With all of these cybercrimes going on, there is more demand for people who are capable in this field.
A security systems administrator’s responsibility is to defend against unauthorized access and establish company-wide security requirements.
As more companies strive towards AI and IoT, the demand for data security strategists will rise. They help to create policies that protect stored data.
The CISO needs to be a champion for security projects, heshe also is in charge of making smarter decisions with regards to cyber-security. The CISO has the responsibility of providing funding and awareness while managing employees who are working on these projects.
The cyber security specialist is the one who updates and protects a computer network.
There are many skills and characteristics that people in the cyber security industry should possess.
Cyber security specialists may have first started out as ethical hackers, or they might have had some military background with a focus on communications and cyber-security.
Too often when people think of cyber security, they only see the negative aspect. When systems are breached or attacks happen on a large scale, that’s when people notice.
In the cyber security field, other skills and practices can help professionals advance in their careers.
- Ask questions. Nobody is all-knowing, especially when it comes to cyber security threats.
- If you’re in IT and know your stuff, people outside of the department may not understand how important it is to keep security a priority. Make sure they do by taking advantage of any opportunities that come up.
- Communicate effectively. Cyber security is a highly technical field, but you can’t speak in jargon when communicating to others about threats and the need for better security.
- For many security professionals, the fun part of their job is testing and breaking new things. Hackers are always looking for ways to access valuable data. This means putting your company’s systems and applications through a series of tests in order to identify their breaking points.
- To stay relevant in the cybersecurity industry, it’s important to always be learning and evolving with new threats.
What is the educational and work history requirement for this job?
- There are a lot of different degree programs for cyber security. You can study from certificate to doctoral level, and there’s plenty of variety in topics as well.
- Computer forensics
- Internet security
- Cryptography
- Cyber security fundamentals
- Data recovery
- Information systems privacy
- Internet security
Cyber security technicians often only need a certificate or associates degree, but cyber security engineers must have at least a Bachelor’s degree.
Certifications can include:
- CREA is an organization that certifies individuals in reverse engineering.
- It is a certification that proves you have the skills to be considered for this job.
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- The CCFE certification is a well-recognized qualification.
- CISSP
- CISA
- CISM
There are a lot of opportunities for entry-level positions in cybersecurity, and with several years on the job you can work your way up to more senior roles.
If you’re an IT professional and want to do cyber security, there are courses online that can teach you. For instance: Coursera has a Cybersecurity Fundamentals specialization where they’ll give lessons on things like:
- Usable security
- Cryptography
- Hardware security
- Software security
Those who take the course and pay 49 dollars, get a certificate.
Udemy is another online course platform, with courses on cyber security such as:
- Introduction to Cyber Security
- This video boot camp from Cisco is a great way to get started with the CCNA Security certification.
- One way to build a more secure company is by investing in cyber security. This includes making sure that the network has multiple firewalls and other protections, as well as educating all employees about what they need to do if there’s an attack.
For those who want to learn more about cybersecurity, the SANS Institute or Carnegie Mellon University are good options.
Cyber security is a booming industry right now, and salaries for top positions are on the rise.
Cyber security careers can be lucrative. According to one survey, the average cyber security professional earns $116,000 per year while PayScale estimates that computer-security specialists earn an average of 74K a year with location being a major factor in pay structure.
According to Glassdoor.com, cyber security engineers make an average of $85k annually – but salaries vary by location and company size.
According to a report from TechRepublic, the top three cities in which cyber security professionals can make the most money include (salary data adjusted for cost of living):
- Minneapolis, MN: $127,752
- Seattle, WA: $119,348
- San Francisco (San Jose), CA: $99K base with a higher commission structure and bonuses for performance
Cyber Security Jobs Salary
DICE IT, a job board for the tech industry, published data on five of the most in-demand security jobs.
The lead software security engineer makes $233,332. The chief security officer is paid at $225,000; the global information security director earns about $200,000; and the chief information security officer gets paid around $192,500.
There are many factors that affect salary, such as education and experience. Larger companies tend to pay more in order to attract top-tier talent. Here is a sampling of data from Glassdoor reflecting salaries at various companies; this data was collected based on self reports by employees, so it’s not always accurate:
- The U.S Air Force offers a salary of $57,000 per year.
- U.S. Navy: $115,000 annually
- PwC offers an annual salary of up to $73,000.
- The Northrop Grumman is a military company that pays $131,000 to $143,000 annually for new employees.
- The average annual salary for this position is between $86,000 and $93,000.
According to the data from Indeed (at this time), cyber security careers vary in salaries. Security Officers make $11.46 an hour, while a Consultant makes about $59 per hour.
- IT Security Specialists earn an average of $52.54 per hour.
- The average hourly wage for an information security analyst is $40.79 based on 2,422 salary reports.
- The average security engineer salary is $38.93 per hour, based on 4,655 reports.
- A security analyst makes about $41 per hour.
- The average hourly rate for an intelligence analyst is $24.54, according to 306 salary reports.
- The average hourly wage for a security specialist is $14.83 per hour, based on 6,979 reported salaries.
- The average salary for a Network Security Engineer is $51.80 per hour, according to 2,587 reports.
- Information Technology Specialists make about $20.87 per hour on average.
- A security consultant earns an average of $59.42 per hour, according to 1,061 salary reports.
LinkedIn also provides a wide range of job opportunities, and their data is on what professionals in cyber security earn. The median salary for these positions ranges from $65,000 to $130,000 per year.
- IT Security Specialists generally make between $49,100 and $141,000 depending on experience. The median pay is around $97,000.
- The average salary for an information security analyst is $76,000. The range in pay can be from $51,000 to over 110K.
- Security engineers make anywhere from $65,000 to $154,000. The median is around $102,000.
- A security analyst’s salary ranges from $51,000 to $110,000. The median is around 76k.
- The average intelligence analyst salary is $65,000.
- The security specialist job can pay from $49,100 to $141,000. The median salary is around 97k.
- The range for a network security engineer is $65,300 to $133,000 and the median amount of money they make is $95,500.
- IT specialist salaries range from $35,000 to over $100,000. The median salary is around $58,000.
- A security consultant can make anywhere from $50,000 to over $100,000. The median is about 87 thousand dollars.
The InformationWeek article says that starting pay is also on the rise, increasing 3.8% in 2017 over 2016.
Indeed also has information on salaries for popular entry-level jobs in the cyber security field, including:
- IT Security Specialists make an average of 113,990 per year.
- A security analyst can make, on average, $88k per year.
- Entry Level Analysts make a median salary of $54,045 per year based on 1,998 reports.
- Network analysts earn an average of $68,484 per year.
- The average salary for an information security analyst is $84,269 a year.
Cyber security professionals make a good living. Not only are they well-paid, but because of the high demand and complexity involved in their work it’s unlikely that there will be any change to this for some time.
Protect Your Organization from Cybersecurity Threats
SecurityStudio help information security leaders at organizations ensure they’re protected against cybersecurity threats, stay insurable, and legally defensible with our risk assessment and risk management software. Schedule a demo to learn how we can help.
