Cyber Security Analyst – How much do cyber security analysts make in the United States
Cyber Security Analyst salary depends on the level of experience and education. Compensation is also somewhat dependent on geographical region and employer. Cyber Security Analysts, also called Information Security Analysts or Security Analysts, must have a knowledge and understanding of security and data risk concepts and principles, as a means of relating business needs to security controls. They have an awareness of mainstream operating systems. Cyber Security Analysts may also administer, troubleshoot, and maintain Firewalls. They should have a sound understanding of IT networking principles, subnets, ARP and associated command line tools such as tcpdump. It’s important that Information Security Analysts have good communication skills and strong report writing skills . Cyber Security Analysts work on assessing cloud storage security.
How Much Do Cyber Security Analysts Make?
As of mid-2019, the average annual pay for an entry Level Cyber Security Analyst in the United States was just over $82,000 a year. Average Cyber Security Analyst salaries range from $57,000 up to $108,000 per year. Security Analysts are one of the best paying security jobs. Information Systems Security Manager and the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) jobs pay more.
Like most jobs, salary is proportional to experience and education. It also depends on where you work. According the latest data from the US Department of Labor (DoL) Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average Cyber Security Analyst pay was $98,350 per year in 2018 which is $47.28 per hour. Opportunities in this career are growing much faster than average. In 2018, there were 112,300 security analyst jobs in the United States which is projected to increase to 147,700 by the year 2028. Each year it is estimated that there will be 12,800 job opening for cyber security analysts.
According to a survey by Zip Recruiter, the average Cyber Security Analyst salary across the United States for an entry level employee was just over $82,000 per year – which is considerably lower than what the US Department of Labor reports. And a Glassdoor salary report states an even lower base pay of $76,000 but does not include benefits in their calculation.
Best Cities for Cyber Security Analyst Salary
According to CareerOneStop.org a website sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, the top six highest average salaries for information security analysts, by U.S. city or metropolitan area are:
- New York City – Salary ranges from $44,000 to $129,000 with a median salary of $76,990
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA – Salary ranges from $62,750 to $138,110 with a median salary of $97,440
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro – Salary ranges from $69,320 to $165,500 with a median salary of $113,200
- District of Columbia – Salary ranges from $63,340 to $178,510 with a median salary of $117,850
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA Metro – Salary ranges from $63,300 to $162,250 with a median salary of $104,400
- Miami, FL – Salary ranges from $52,440 to $130,110 with a median salary of $82,440
What Do You Need to Be A Cyber Security Analyst?
People in this job usually have Bachelor’s degree but less than five years work experience and no on-the-job training. However, like many internet technology (IT) careers, you don’t necessarily need a university degree to get a job as a Cyber Security Analyst. Often, self-taught programming skills and security experience are enough, especially if you are applying for an entry level job. Cyber Security Analysts should consider completing one or more Certified Information Security Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), or Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) programs. Other preferred certifications include Certified Incident Handler GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH), GIAC Certified Intrusion Analysts (GCIAs), or Cisco Certified Network Associate Routing & Switching Certification (CNNA).
The Best Paid Cyber Security Analysts Understand
- Network Devices
- Cisco network security and administration
- Anti-Malware Solutions like McAfee
- Intrusion Prevention Systems
- Web Content Filtering Solutions
- Data Loss Prevention Technologies (DLP)
- Web Application Firewalls
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
Skills to Increase Your Security Analyst Salary
Cyber Security Analysts should have a broad understanding of all domains of information security per ISO27001 guidelines Applicants should also have relevant experience auditing information technology systems from a technology and physical security perspective. A prospective employer may or may not require a college degree. Experience counts for quite a bit! Self-taught classes and online classes may be accepted in lieu of a formal education.
- 3+ years in Information Security experience
- Strong background in incident response, incident handling and security operations
- Experience working with SIEM/EDR/NextGen Firewalls/Packet Capture
- AN understanding of incident handling techniques within Cloud technologies – Google Cloud, Azure or AWS
- Understanding of Unix, Linux, and Windows operating systems – depending on employer requirements
- Experience with vulnerability management
How Long Does It Take to Become a Security Analyst?
Cyber Security Analysts need a few years of relevant experience and possibly a college degree in computer science, information technology, or other computer related degree. Self-paced online courses can also give you the skills you need to advance your skills and career. If your degree or experience don’t qualify you for a Cyber Security Analyst job, then consider one of the following other cyber security career paths that can help you gain experience.
- Systems Administrator
- Database Administrator
- Web Developer
- Network Administrator
- IT Technician
- Security Administrator
- Network Engineer
- Computer Software Engineer
Federal Cybersecurity Reskilling Academy
The US Federal government began its first cyber security training classes in April 2019. The Federal Cyber Reskilling Academy is a school run by the US government to train non-technical US Federal government workers for cyber security analyst jobs and cyber defense analysis. The first classes accommodated about 30 students, but the program had over 1500 applicants.
