How Much Does a Cyber Security Specialist Make?

Cyber security is a growing field. Our lives are more and more online, our money and reputations are digital. As information moves to the cloud, securing it becomes more of a challenge.

What does a Cyber Security Specialist Do?

Cyber security specialists monitor, test, and troubleshoot security systems. They need to know about security products and how to operate and install them. They are also expected to educate employees on proper security techniques and how to protect their data, and may establish security policies.

What kind of Pay will a Cyber Security Specialist Earn?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), information security analysts have a median pay of $90,120 per year. Equally important, the BLS anticipates that computer security jobs will grow 18% during the period from 2014 to 2024, higher than the average for jobs in computing and much higher than the 7% projected average for all jobs.

Data breaches happen so often that it’s easy to gloss over the headlines, but the fallout is much harder for companies to ignore: hacks are not just embarrassing, but can lead to serious financial and reputational damage. So, it’s not surprising that there’s high demand for cyber security professionals, and that those who are up to the task are generously compensated. In fact, Computerworld reported that cyber security was the third most highly sought-after skill (right behind app development and tech support), according to managers who planned to expand their IT staff in 2017. In the same report, John Reed, the senior executive director of IT staffing firm Robert Half Technology, pointed out that many companies regularly have vacancies due to their inability to find suitable candidates.

Not only are cyber security skills in peak demand, but according to Computerworld’s 2017 IT Salary Survey Results, security is the third highest-paying IT specialty (after cloud computing and ERP) . But not all cyber-sec jobs pay the same. A handful of positions stand above the rest, at least in terms of compensation.