how much does a cyber security make

Cybersecurity Salaries and Job Outlook

April 25, 2022

Gone are the days when a security guard, a card key, and your dog'southward name as your countersign kept an airtight seal around you and your visitor's private information. Engineering science is advancing at a rapid pace, and with it has come a barrage of cybercrime. As a result, cybersecurity professionals with expertise in protecting digital information are in high demand.

As the lead federal agency for investigating cyberattacks, the FBI reports that cybercrime is a menacing threat that continues to grow. Estimator and network invasions are one of the agency'due south biggest concerns.

"The commonage impact is staggering. Billions of dollars are lost every year repairing systems hitting past such attacks. Some have down vital systems, disrupting and sometimes disabling the work of hospitals, banks, and 911 services effectually the land, " according to the FBI website.

Cybersecurity is now a priority business issue, and there is no scenario that is across possibility when it comes to cyberattacks, retired Adm. Michael Rogers told CNBC in 2022 after leaving the National Security Agency, which he oversaw for almost four years.

"It's something that can take your company to its knees," Rogers said.

Because of this tendency, careers in cybersecurity are on the upswing. Companies need cybersecurity professionals who can protect their financial information and intellectual property, fight online fraud, and create hack-proof client records, among other tasks. Many are willing to pay height salaries for experienced cybersecurity professionals.

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies says that the need for cybersecurity experts is growing 12 times faster than the current US job marketplace. The US Department of Commerce estimated in that location are more than 300,000 cybersecurity jobs waiting to be filled in 2022 — and the field is expected to go along growing. There volition exist equally many as 3.5 meg unfilled positions in the industry by 2022, (PDF, 751 KB) every bit predicted past Cybersecurity Ventures, a visitor that provides cyber economic market data, insights, and predictions to professionals in the field.

Tiptop Jobs and Salaries in Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity engineers, analysts, specialists, consultants, and architects are among the jobs that organizations are looking to make full. Senior leadership in cybersecurity, especially those who piece of work in major cities or specialty fields such as the military , can pull in annual earnings in the half-dozen-figure range; this is particularly the instance for primary information security officers (CISOs)¹ , which are typically the highest-ranking cybersecurity employees in a company. Every land at present has a CISO or the equivalent to make sure that statewide security management programs are keeping authorities information protected.

CISO is not the merely position in the field pulling in a competitive wage, though. Other cybersecurity jobs that offer competitive salaries include the following:

Figurer network builder. Computer network architects are responsible for designing and building their organization'due south data communication networks, including local expanse networks (LANs), broad area networks (WANs), and intranets. They're often tasked with budget of these networks, too. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists the median annual salary for a computer network architect is $109,020.

Reckoner programmer. In that location are plenty of cybersecurity jobs that do non require programming, simply if you lot practice know how to code, it's a forcefulness you can bring to any cybersecurity position. Source code auditors , for example, become line by line through source code to find vulnerabilities. You'll need to know the coding language your company uses — be information technology C, C++, Coffee, or other languages. BLS data bear witness the annual median salary for a reckoner programmer in whatsoever field is $84,280.

Information security analyst.Most information security analyst positions require a bachelor's caste in a computer-related field. Employers — typically in the computer, business organization, financial, and consulting industries — tend to hire analysts with feel in a related occupation where they've learned to programme and deport out security measures that protect an arrangement's computer networks and systems. The median pay for an information security analyst is $98,350 per year, co-ordinate to the BLS . Those in management level jobs can net more $120,000.

How to Boost Your Cybersecurity Bacon

Cybersecurity is a relatively new profession, and those in the field have varied school and professional person backgrounds. A bachelor's degree in engineering science or information science is often a requirement (simply non always), and a master's degree in cybersecurity can boost a chore applicant's entreatment gene. Classes encompass topics such equally cybersecurity leadership, cryptology, regime and national security, network security, privacy engineering, and trouble-solving skills.

Companies are also looking for employees with project direction experience; analytics and data science backgrounds; technical writing skills; and expertise in law, policy, and concrete security such as law enforcement and armed services experience, says Pete Metzger, a recruiter of C-suite cybersecurity professionals with consulting firm DHR International, to CNBC.com . Metzger started his career in the Marine Corps and later served as a Primal Intelligence Agency strange intelligence officer. Organizations are seeking people with leadership skills who can problem solve and assistance them "reshape" how they think about security, he said. And even if you don't accept a cybersecurity caste, it'southward never too belatedly to advance your teaching and so yous gain a competitive edge in the job market.

Cybersecurity Salary by State

Cybersecurity salaries by country are listed below for three chore categories in the profession; all are mean salaries based on BLS data.^one Some state data was unavailable.

¹ Morgan, Steve. "Top Cyber Security Salaries In U.S. Metros Hit $380,000," Forbes, January 9, 2022. Return to footnote reference
² Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Occupational Employment Statistics, OES Data, May 2022, National," March 30, 2022. Return to footnote reference