State of Cybersecurity Salaries: What Can You Expect?

It is not shocking that the cybersecurity field is growing at a rapid rate. The increase in available positions is directly related to the increase in frequency and severity of cyberattacks. Cyberattacks and data breaches happen daily; every 39 seconds there is a new attack somewhere on the web. Many times, they are increasingly damaging. This has naturally increased the need for organizations to spend significant amounts of money to keep their information safe as well as hire people to execute the day-to-day functions of these cybersecurity initiatives. Many employers recognize that the demand for employees with this specialized skill set is far greater than the number of people available to fill the roles. This leads to competitive pay for cybersecurity talent.  

Cybersecurity Salaries Growing with Demand 

According to the New England Institute of Technology, the cybersecurity unemployment rate dropped to 0% in 2016 and has been there ever since while the number of jobs is expected to increase by 31% by the year 2029. As the demand for these positions continue to grow, cybersecurity salaries will follow the same trend. As of March 2022, Salary.com reports that the average entry-level cybersecurity salaries comes in at $72,215. In general, the salary range is somewhere between $65,820 and $79,148. Which is right in line with the $74,000 average starting salary of our Evolve Academy Cybersecurity Bootcamp graduates.  When you add additional skills, certifications and experience, you can expect to see that salary range grow accordingly.  

If you’re working towards your first cyber role, there are several ways to get a foot in the door. A good starting point could be something similar to a help desk position, allowing you to gain relevant experience that can be applied to a future, more focused cyber role. Once your first cyber role is established, you can be considered a top candidate in the industry within 2-3 years.  

Do Your Research 

Job titles range from the above “entry-level” to titles such as security operations, network security, information security, penetration testing and more. When considering cybersecurity salaries as a whole, regardless of job title, the middle 50% of salaries range from $89,000 to $140,000 with the median salary coming in at $115,000 per year.  Comparitech has an excellent blog outlining the average growth in both salaries and positions available across the United States.  

While researching, it is important to remember that cybersecurity salaries vary not only by job title and experience but also by geographical location. The salary of a cybersecurity professional in a large metropolitan city will not be the same as a cybersecurity salary in a lesser populated, more suburban or rural location. The coasts of the U.S. are booming with opportunity and have the cybersecurity salaries to match, specifically in areas such as San Francisco and New York City.   

A great tool to utilize when determining how many open positions are in a given city or state is Cyberseek.org. Here, you can identify where the most opportunity is across the country and help you better determine the realistic cybersecurity salary range in each location.  

Want to Join this Lucrative Industry? 

At the end of the day, cybersecurity is a lucrative and thriving industry with no real end in sight. It is an excellent career choice for both job security and competitive compensation.  

If you’re interested in breaking into the field but don’t necessarily want to go back to school for another degree, Evolve Academy’s Cybersecurity bootcamp is a great option! Part-time classes, for 20 weeks, will give you all of the practical skills and job prep support to get a job in the cybersecurity field. Learn more about our bootcamp here and feel free to schedule a call with one of our advisors to get your questions answered!