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How much can I earn working in cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity professionals’ salaries tend to exceed the national average. The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) reports that information security analysts earned a median annual salary of $112,000 as of 2022.
Median annual salary by state for cybersecurity professionals
Factors that affect salary
As with any career, a number of factors can have a large impact on the particular salary a given individual makes. Chief among these is education and experience. Other factors can include location and certifications.
How do cyber security salaries compare to other IT careers?
Because individual cybersecurity jobs feature so much specialization, the BLS only highlights a single cybersecurity career: information security analyst.
However, typical roles for information security analysts mirror those of several other cybersecurity positions, including detecting security breaches, installing and using software, researching IT security trends, and suggesting security enhancements.
Cybersecurity salary and employment by industry
Since businesses of all kinds increasingly depend on computer networks and systems for their daily operations, cybersecurity graduates can find career paths in nearly any industry. Some industries, however, employ more experts and offer better salary compensation than others.
Industries employing the highest number of cybersecurity professionals
Industry by BLS Classification | Employment | % of Industry Employment |
---|---|---|
Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 42,590 | 1.88 |
Management of Companies and Enterprises | 14,790 | 0.58 |
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities such as Lending and Arranging Loans | 10,170 | 0.51 |
Other Information Services | 10,130 | 2.79 |
Management, Scientific and Technical Consulting Services | 8,660 | 0.56 |
Top-paying industries
Industry | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
---|---|---|
Search portals and information services | $79.38 | $165,111 |
Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing | $77.52 | $161,240 |
Social advocacy organizations | $73.29 | $152,450 |
Motion picture and video industries | $72.78 | $151,380 |
Motor vehicle manufacturing | $69.12 | $143,770 |
Cybersecurity salaries by metro area
The availability of certain top-employing and high-paying industries also impacts the outlook for cybersecurity careers in different locations. Cities with large healthcare, finance, and IT sectors may need to employ more skilled cybersecurity specialists.
Cybersecurity job outlook
The cybersecurity industry suffers from limited qualified personnel, evident by the much faster than average BLS-predicted job growth of 34.7% through 2031. As the world increasingly shifts to digital solutions and more computer infrastructure is built, the disparity between supply and demand in this field will likely increase.
The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies has also released data showing that the demand for cybersecurity specialists is increasing twelve times faster than the average demand for other professionals in the United States.