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The Complete Guide to IT Security Salaries in 2018

October 24, 2017 by Infosec

With 96% of HR managers now using IT certifications as screening or hiring criteria during recruitment, getting certified is an essential step in reaching your career goals. Depending on where you are in your career, there are a variety of certifications available to help you further your education and set yourself apart from other candidates.

Before exploring certifications, your first question may be: how much can I make if I earn a certification? To help guide your search, we’ve complied earnings potential for some of the top security and IT certifications available.

CompTIA Security+ Certification

According to CompTIA, the Security+ certification is used to validate foundational IT security knowledge and skills. It covers the essential principles for network security and risk management and is a good entry-level certification for security professionals.

City Salary Data (Avg.)
Washington, DC $86,837
San Diego, CA $79,304
San Antonio, TX $68,307
Atlanta, GA $67,555
Colorado Springs, CO $73,096
Dallas, TX $75,556
Huntsville, AL $78,046
Job Role Salary Data (Avg.)
Systems Administrator $62,314
Information Security Analyst $68,873
Network Engineer $70,019
IT Manager $76,083
Network Administrator $58,669
Information Technology Specialist $58,938
Systems Administrator/Computer Networking $61,010
Years of Experience Salary Data (Avg.)
Less than 1 $55,864
1-4 years $58,806
5-9 years $69,437
10-19 years $83,300
20+ years $92,136

Cisco Certified Network Associate Certification (CCNA)

Cisco states its CCNA certification will help network professionals demonstrate the skills required to develop a security infrastructure, recognize threats and vulnerabilities to networks, and mitigate security threats.

City Salary Data (Avg.)
New York City, NY $78,482
Chicago, IL $76,696
Dallas, TX $76,116
Atlanta, GA $79,522
Houston, TX $72,365
Washington, DC $91,371
San Jose, CA $108,067
Job Role Salary Data (Avg.)
Network Engineer $71,135
Network Administrator $60,059
Senior Network Engineer $97,255
Information Technology Manager $82,088
Systems Administrator $61,486
Systems Engineer $70,172
Information Technology Director $95,760
Years of Experience Salary Data (Avg.)
Less than 1 $53,013
1-4 years $59,171
5-9 years $71,650
10-19 years $87,858
20+ years $97,769

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

The CISSP certification is a globally recognized standard for security professionals. It demonstrates you have the skills to design, engineer, implement and run an information security program.

City Salary Data (Avg.)
Washington, DC $120,363
New York City, NY $129,828
Atlanta, GA $106,994
Dallas, TX $112,380
Chicago, IL $117,323
Seattle, WA $113,932
San Francisco, CA $146,772
Job Role Salary Data (Avg.)
Information Security Analyst $85,102
Information Security Manager $115,315
Chief Information Security Officer $165,015
IT Security Architect $122,935
Security Engineer $96,599
Information Security Officer $101,782
Information Security Engineer $102,405
Years of Experience Salary Data (Avg.)
Less than 1 $64,863
1-4 years $76,396
5-9 years $94,627
10-19 years $113,853
20+ years $128,844

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

According to ISACA, the CISA certification will showcase your audit experience, skills and knowledge, and demonstrate you can assess vulnerabilities, report on compliance and institute controls within an enterprise.

City Salary Data (Avg.)
New York, NY $117,814
Chicago, IL $97,467
Boston, MA $106,323
Dallas, TX $93,038
Washington, DC $116,776
San Francisco, CA $109,015
Seattle, WA $98,838
Job Role Salary Data (Avg.)
Senior Information Technology Auditor $86,435
Information Technology Auditor $67,938
Information Systems Audit Manager $108,295
Internal Audit Director $138,129
Information Security Manager $117,325
Information Security Analyst $80,023
Information Technology Manager $96,664
Years of Experience Salary Data (Avg.)
Less than 1 year $56,398
1-4 years $69,893
5-9 years $91,441
10-19 years $113,651
20+ years $134,050

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

The EC-Council’s CEH certification proves to employers you understand how to identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities in systems and assess their security posture.

City Salary Data
Not available at this time Not available at this time
Job Role Salary Data (Avg.)
Information Security Analyst $76,350
Cyber Security Analyst $81,601
Security Engineer $89,287
Penetration Tester $84,260
Security Analyst $75,637
Information Security Engineer $91,995
Information Security Manager $117,300
Years of Experience Salary Data
Not available at this time Not available at this time

Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)

The CRISC certification will prepare you to manage IT and enterprise risk management within an organization. According to the ISACA, the CRISC will position you to become a strategic enterprise partner.

City Salary Data (Avg.)
New York City $100,500
Seattle, WA $95,000
San Diego, CA $121,000
Stamford, CT $130,000
Richmond, VA $144,000
Memphis, TN $124,740
Charlotte, NC $109,000
Job Role Salary Data (Avg.)
Senior Information Technology Auditor $92,372
Chief Information Security Officer $202,940
Information Security Analyst $99,480
Information Security Manager $122,474
Information Security Officer $95,986
Years of Experience Salary Data (Avg.)
1-4 years of experience $88,000
5-9 years of experience $92,087
10-19 years of experience $117,025
20+ years $149,550

Certified in Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT)

According to the ISACA, CGEIT gives you the credibility to discuss critical issues around governance and strategic alignment. It is recommended for professionals considering a move to the C-suite.

City Salary Data (Avg.)
Washington, DC $241,000
Wichita, KS $116,004
Chicago, IL $121,129
Houston, TX $132,000
Memphis, TN $100,000
New York City, NY $165,000
Job Role Salary Data (Avg.)
Information Technology Director $147,250
Vice President of Information Technology $133,500
Years of Experience Salary Data (Avg.)
10-19 years $119,032
20+ years $158,100

Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), Formerly Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate

Microsoft’s MCSA certification demonstrates you have the ability to design and build technology solutions.

City Salary Data
New York, NY $48,047 – $102,445
Chicago, IL $48,412 – $95,716
Seattle, WA $50,109 – $99,366
San Diego, CA $55,408 – $108,543
Dallas, TX $46,810 – $97,759
Job Role Salary Data (Avg.)
Systems Administrator $63,955
Information Technology Manager $79,724
Information Technology Director $94,326
Network Administrator $58,731
Systems Engineer $72,842
Senior Systems Administrator $80,702
Network Engineer $69,860
Years of Experience Salary Data (Avg.)
Less than 1 year $58,723
1-4 years $54,414
5-9 years $67,078
10-19 years $80,034
20+ years $86,473

Sources:

Posted: October 24, 2017
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