What is the average cybersecurity salary?

The median wage for Information Security Analysts was $124,910 in May 2024 (BLS OEWS, SOC 15-1212). Salaries range from $87,400 for entry-level SOC Analysts to $232,000 for CISOs. The BLS median for all full-time wage and salary workers was approximately $63,360 in 2024, so cybersecurity professionals earn roughly twice the national full-time median.

How much do cybersecurity sales roles pay?

Cybersecurity sales roles are structured around on-target earnings (OTE), which combines base salary and commission. Entry-level Sales Development Representatives earn $60,000 to $80,000 OTE, while experienced Account Executives earn $200,000 to $400,000 OTE at top vendors. Sales Engineers typically earn $160,000 to $250,000 OTE.

Where does DecipherU get its salary data?

Technical cybersecurity salary data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, which surveys 1.1 million employers annually (most recent: May 2024). Sales compensation (OTE) ranges are triangulated from Lightcast labor-market data (2024), public 10-K compensation disclosures of listed cybersecurity vendors, and RepVue crowdsourced rep-level compensation. Sales OTE is reported as ranges rather than point estimates because it varies materially by quota attainment, equity vesting, and accelerator structure, none of which BLS captures.

Salary data

Cybersecurity salaries

Median compensation across 8 cybersecurity career paths, sourced directly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.

Working in Applied AI? Browse Applied AI career compensation.

Company tier ranges

FAANG, Public Tech, Enterprise, Government bands derived from Levels.fyi distributions × BLS median.

AI-fluency premium

+15-25% comp lift on AI-skilled cybersecurity postings (Lightcast 2024). Quantified in dollars per role.

Negotiation lift

Typical 8-15% gap between offer-as-stated and negotiated landing across cyber roles.

Cert + sector overlay

Each role shows BLS sector breakdown (finance vs healthcare vs federal) and cert-stack premium math.

Highest median

$232,000

Chief Information Security Officer →

Entry-level floor

$82,500

GRC Analyst →

Average median

$143,936

Across all 8 roles

vs. US median income

+142%

Average premium →

Salary by role

Click any bar to view the full career guide. Hover for compensation detail.

How to read this data

Salary figures represent median annual wages from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. “Median” means half of workers in that role earn more and half earn less. Actual compensation varies significantly by geography, experience level, industry sector, and employer size.

The “vs. US median” column compares each role’s median salary to the overall U.S. median household income of $59,384, providing context for the relative earning power of cybersecurity careers.

OTE (On-Target Earnings): base salary plus expected commissions and bonuses

For a deeper analysis of any role including skill requirements, certification ROI, and career progression paths, visit the individual career guide.

This role lives inside a packaged path

Want the curriculum, comp delta, and recommended courses for this role?

DecipherU bundles cybersecurity roles into a small set of packaged paths. Each path has the curriculum sequence, the compensation delta it unlocks, and the recommended courses, all pre-set. Two ways in:

Take the 2-min Risk Score →Open the cybersecurity path hub →

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Salary data is compiled from public sources including the Bureau of Labor Statistics and industry surveys. Actual compensation varies by location, experience, company, and negotiation. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

Last verified: April 2026?Report an inaccuracy