Knowing the real average salary for Cyber Security Engineer is very important, as there are many feature and requirement that determines this.

From the Google search page, when you search for a Cyber Security engineer’s salary, it gives you a range of $78,368 to about $210,000. Now, this is a sizable range, but for this article, we are going to narrow it down for you.

The average salary for a cyber Security engineer based in New York City will be different from a cyber security engineer living in North Carolina because the cost of living is different and companies hiring in those cities also pay their cyber security engineers differently.

• What is cyber security?
• Who is a cyber security engineer?
• Why should you become a cyber security engineer?
• Cyber security Engineer skills
• Cyber security engineer job responsibilities
• Cyber security Engineer Salaries
• 7 Top paying cyber security jobs
• Cyber Security Engineer Certifications
• Conclusion

What is cyber security?

With the growth projections in cybercrime and data breaches, many organizations and individuals have decided to take up the means in which to secure their data and servers, this in return has increased the ongoing demand for cyber security engineers.

Cyber security refers to the body of technologies, processes, and practices designed to protect networks, devices, programs, and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. Cyber security may also be referred to as information technology security.

Who is a cyber security engineer?

Before we delve into the various salary ranges for different levels in a cyber security engineer field, let’s define who a cyber security engineer is.

A cyber security engineer from the word is someone that makes use of engineering techniques to design and implement security systems that are responsible for preventing and solving cyber threats.

Cyber security engineers are known to transition from this field to other fields like security architects, chief information security officers, etc.

Why Cyber Security is Important

Cyber security engineering is one of the most sought-after careers in the world of information security and for a very good reason.

Cyber security engineers make use of their skills to help various organizations secure their information from cyber-attacks initiated by hackers and are paid handsomely for their services.

Becoming a cyber security engineer can be challenging but it can also be rewarding when you are able to learn the necessary skill needed to become a proficient cyber security engineer.

Cyber security Engineer skills

We find that most experienced cyber security experts are Here, we have broken down into categories the various skills needed to succeed as a cyber security engineer. Below are the four skills needed for a cyber security engineer career:

Hard skills

To succeed in an organization, you need certain basic skills which are sometimes referred to as hard skills, these skills include:

• A readiness to learn
• Enthusiasm and a high degree of adaptability.
• Strong analytical skill.
• Basic understanding of computer structure and the web structure.

Soft skills

Soft skills are often referred to as the ability of cyber security engineers to communicate complicated topics effectively to people in a way they would understand, in other words, people who are not tech-savvy. So having the following skill is usually a must-have in order to grow.

• Must be proficient in communication and presentation.
• Ability to break down complex scenarios both written and verbally.
• Effective learning and listening skills.

Technical skills

There are various technical skills that a cyber security engineer should have, ranging from networking to operating systems, to programming, and lots more. A cyber security engineer should have knowledge in the following fields:

• System architecture
• System administration
• Linux Operating system
• Windows OS
• Networking
• Software analytics
• Programming languages like Java
• C/C++
• Assembly language
• Scripting languages like PHP
• Python
• Perl
• Shell

Management skills

Pro-level cyber security engineers must be able to organize and coordinate various levels of assessments including technical assessments, system and network assessments, penetration assessments, web application assessments, physical security assessments, and other infrastructural solutions.

Cyber security engineer job responsibilities

Job responsibilities may vary across companies, but they are quite similar to each other. These are the responsibilities of a cyber security engineer in any company.

• A cyber security engineer must be able to manage, monitor, and upgrade, security measures to protect an organization’s information, systems, and networks.
• Must be able to troubleshoot and fix problems.
• Must be able to respond and adapt to network and system breaches.
• Test and identify vulnerabilities within a system.
• Change management protocols and processes.
• Ensure the company’s data and infrastructure is secure.

Cyber security Engineer Salaries

Salary in any job profession is one of the biggest pros, especially in the field of information security specifically cyber security engineer, according to Payscale the average salary for a cyber security engineer is $96,597. This figure is more than average of the national minimum wage which is $47,060.

The average salary for a cyber security engineer is enough to make anyone comfortable, and it can also be higher than that depending on the level and years of experience. Below shows the various salaries for a cyber security engineer.

Entry-level Cyber security engineers:

This group of professionals can expect to earn $99,629 per annum, which is about $8,302 per month.

Mid-level Cyber security engineers:

Mid-level or intermediate-level cyber security engineers are expected to earn $114,454 per year and about $9,537 per month.

Pro-level Cyber security engineers:

Pro-level or experienced cyber security engineers earn $127,588 per year which is about $10,632 per month.

7 Top paying cyber security jobs

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

A Chief information security officer is someone that is responsible for an organization’s information and data security.

Very few pro-level CISO may earn as much as $500,000 per annum and as little as $120,000 per annum.  The average salary for a CISO professional is $150,000.

Lead Software Security Engineer

This position is mostly reserved for elite programmers and coders and they have salaries ranging from as low as $160,000 to $240,000 or even higher depending on their level of experience and certifications.

Cyber Security Sales Engineer

Cyber security is not just about securing systems and detecting cyber threats or even coding, there are also very lucrative areas in the sales department and their salary can range from as little as $120,000 to $220,000 per year.

Cyber Security Architect

A cyber security architect earns an average salary of $140,720 per year according to InfoSec institute. This role involves designing the organization’s network and security architecture.

Cyber security Administrator

The professionals in this role earn an average salary of $150,000 and this can vary between $125,000 and $215,000 according to Mondo.com. They are also referred to as information security managers who are responsible for identifying areas of vulnerabilities and putting safeguards in place to secure the company’s data and information.

Penetration Tester

These are often referred to as ethical hackers. They are hired to infiltrate the company’s servers and databases to look for vulnerabilities within the system and how to fix them. According to Cyberseek.org, penetration testers or ethical hackers have an average salary between $102,000 and $140,000.

Information Security Analyst

The average salary for an information security analyst is $85,600. Information security analysts are often referred to as guardians of information systems because of their vast knowledge in preventing, monitoring, and responding to data breaches and cyber threats.

Cyber Security Engineer Certifications

Getting a certification is one way to increase your skill and establish yourself as a professional cyber security engineer and there are a wide range of certifications to pick from, this certification would only enhance your expertise in those specific areas:

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
• Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) certification.
• Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
• GAIC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
• Information System Security Architecture Professional (CISSP-ISSAP)
• Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (CISSP-ISSEP)
• Information Systems Security Management professional (CISSP-ISSMP)

Conclusion

Recent study in the year 2017 from the Center for Safety and Education predicts that there will be 1.8 million cyber security worker shortages by 2023, this gives us the idea that there will be an increase in the need for cyber security engineers and analyst. Looking at the article, we can see that cyber security engineers have a very lucrative salary but it takes time and dedication to learn and be a professional in this field.

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