A Guide to Cyber Security Salary

In 2020, it is expected that the cyber security market will be around $170 billion. The Burning Glass Technologies Research provides data from 2015, which shows that the cyber security salary is about 9% more than other IT workers. However, there remains a lack of qualified professionals in this field. The workforce gap between cybersecurity professionals will reach around 1.8 million in 2022.

The CEO of ISC² David Shearer said in a press conference that 66% of workers know that they have far too few qualified workers ready to combat the current threats in the industry; another research shows a similar finding, wherein there is truly a shortage of cybersecurity professionals making a cyber security salary.

In the U.S., there were about 780,000 cybersecurity professionals with a cyber security salary in 2017. There were 350,000 job openings and a 0% unemployment rate for this field. This is impressive for any industry.

There is a growing need for experienced cybersecurity personnel. This just shows that there is tremendous potential in this field, including cyber security salary, job security, and advancement. Based on the analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 74% more job postings for cybersecurity.

Most Popular Cybersecurity Roles

There are many options for IT professionals to pursue a career in the field of cybersecurity and make a cyber security salary. They need strong communication skills, along with good knowledge of the threat landscape and the technologies and tools that are used by cybersecurity teams in order to detect, mitigate, and prevent threats.

If you want to proceed with this field, here are a few of the roles that are in high demand:

Security Architect

These are the people who put themselves in the shoes of a hacker to find ways to attack so they can prevent those types of attacks. They also maintain the enterprise computer system security. They should always be updated with the latest news and technologies in the industry.

Malware Analyst

There has been a rapid rise in ransomware attacks in the past few years. The role of the malware analyst is to defend against these threats. An example is the WannaCry ransomware attack that resulted in $4 billion in losses.

IT Security Engineer

This role focuses on the quality control of IT environments so security measures are in place to address threats.

Security Software Developer

There is a never-ending need for developers who can create tools, programs, and software to counter what hackers do.

Security Systems Administrator

This is who is responsible for defending the network and systems from unauthorized access and creating the requirements for security.

Data Security Strategist

More and more enterprises are moving toward AI, and this has led to a rise in demand for data security strategists because they focus on efficient data security functions and storage. They also help in creating policies for stored data.

Becoming a Cybersecurity Professional

Most of the cybersecurity professionals actually start out in the field as ethical hackers. They recognize how easy it is to hack into vulnerable systems, so they translate this knowledge into software and policies that can help protect endpoints, networks, and applications.

Others gain knowledge through joining different organizations or even the military, which has some of the highest standards when it comes to cybersecurity.

In order to advance in the career of cybersecurity and make a good cyber security salary, you need to:

Ask Questions

There is no single professional in the security business who knows it all. With the rapid pace of new threats and technologies, there is no one person who would have all the available information.

Promote your Work

Good security work can sometimes go unnoticed. People who are outside the IT industry do not understand the importance of what you do and why security policies are important. So, you need to take the lead in promoting these policies in the organization.

Communicate

This is a very technical field, but you should not speak in jargon when you are talking about threats and security needs to employees and other departments, so they understand key policies and processes.

Keep Learning

It is important to keep up with every evolving threats and technologies so you know how best to defend the organization.

Educational and Background Requirements

There are several degree options that you can study in order to become a proper cybersecurity professional and make a good cyber security salary:

• Internet security.
• Computer forensics.
• Cryptography.
• Data recovery.

There are certifications you can take as well, such as:

• CISA.
• CISM.
• CISSP.
• Certified Penetration Tester.
• Certified Ethical Hacker.
• Certified Computer Forensics Examiner.

Cyber Security Salary

Based on recent data, the average annual cyber security salary from 15 cities in the United States are the following:

1. Minneapolis: $127,757.
2. Seattle: $119,349.
3. San Francisco: $119,346.
4. Dallas: $117,890.
5. Denver: $117,308.
6. Chicago: $111,303.
7. Austin: $110,190.
8. Salt Lake City: $106,207.
9. New York: $102,271.
10. San Jose: $99,075.
11. San Diego: $98,303.
12. Washington: $92,191.
13. Boston: $88,453.
14. Los Angeles: $86,072.
15. Arlington: $74,254.

While salaries can vary based on location, role, experience level, and company, it is obvious that cyber security professionals are in high demand and are compensated properly with a cyber security salary. As the landscape of threats continue to expand, more and more security professionals are needed to create policies, tools, and applications to keep modern enterprises safe.

Also Read,

The Role of a vCISO in Enterprise Security

Why Cybersecurity Recruitment On The Rise?

Australia’s Shortage of Cybersecurity Professionals, Highlighted by the Government