Is my cybersecurity salary offer below market?

An offer below the BLS-derived 80th-percentile floor for your role, experience, and location is below market. This tool computes that floor and compares it to your entered figure. If the gap is greater than 15%, investigate whether the role level is miscategorized.

What does within market range mean?

Within market range means the offer falls between the adjusted minimum and approximately 5% above the adjusted median. That is the fair zone. Optimize non-base levers like signing bonus, equity, and remote flexibility from there.

Why does the tool adjust by location and sector?

A cybersecurity SOC Analyst in San Francisco or a finance firm earns meaningfully more than the same role in a lower-cost state or nonprofit sector. The tool applies BLS-derived multipliers so the comparison reflects the context you are actually negotiating in.

Does this tool work for cybersecurity sales roles?

Yes. Sales roles (SDR, AE, SE, CRO) use the same underlying data set, but note that sales compensation is mostly OTE rather than base. The DecipherU compensation guide for each sales role breaks down base, commission, and accelerators separately.

Cybersecurity Salary Sanity Check

Enter an offer or current pay and check where it lands against BLS-derived market ranges for your cybersecurity role.

Your situation

Offered or current salary (USD)

Role

Years of experience

Location

Education

Sector

Verdict

Enter a salary to see the verdict

Market min

$76,912

Median

$96,140

Market max

$120,175

Next moves

Enter a salary above to get specific negotiation guidance.

Ranges derive from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2024 median for the role, adjusted by experience, location, education, and sector multipliers. Actual compensation varies by company, negotiation, and total-comp structure. This tool is educational and not financial advice.

See the full salary guide for SOC Analyst

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

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Sources

Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS Cybersecurity Roles (May 2024) — Baseline medians per role for this cybersecurity salary sanity check tool.
BLS Regional Cost-of-Labor Differentials — Source for location multipliers.