Cybersecurity Analyst Salary Guide: How Much Can You Make?

Key takeaways 

Cybersecurity analysts earn higher-than-average salaries for their work monitoring systems for suspicious activities and responding to breaches.

• According to Glassdoor, the median total pay for a cybersecurity analyst is $128,000 [1].

• Industry can impact your pay as a cybersecurity analyst, with jobs in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology, financial services, and aerospace and defense industries offering top pay.

• You can find high-paying roles in the field, such as an IT auditor, a penetration tester, or a security architect.

Learn how much you can expect to earn as a cybersecurity analyst, as well as factors that can influence your salary. If you’re ready to start building cybersecurity skills, consider enrolling in the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to identify risks, threats, and vulnerabilities in as little as six months. By the end, you’ll have earned a shareable career credential for your resume.

Cybersecurity analyst average salary

Glassdoor calculates the average salary for information security analysts, a role closely related to cybersecurity analysts, as $137,000 [2]. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation. This figure closely aligns with the $124,910 median salary for information security analysts reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [3]. 

Is cybersecurity analyst a high-paying job?

Yes. When you compare the average cybersecurity analyst salary to the national mean wage across all occupations, you’ll find that the average earnings are nearly double. Cybersecurity analysts earn $128,000 on average, while the national mean wage is $65,470, according to the BLS [1, 4].

Cybersecurity analyst salaries by experience

In many industries, your level of experience can have a big impact on how much you earn. This is especially true in cybersecurity, where hands-on experience is just as valuable, if not more important, to companies than education. Your earning potential will vary, as you can see when examining the range from cybersecurity entry-level salary data to average earnings later in your career. Take a look at how your median total pay might change as you gain more experience, based on salary data from Glassdoor* [1].

*All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of April 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Cybersecurity salaries by industry

As more and more companies turn to technology and connectivity to run their business, it becomes increasingly important to keep a company’s data and reputation secure. While cybersecurity analysts can find work across a range of industries, some tend to pay more than others. If you’re looking to find a job in a higher-paying sector, these are some of the top options, according to Glassdoor’s April 2026 data, which reflects the base pay and additional compensation like bonuses and profit sharing [1]:

• Pharmaceutical and biotechnology: $115,000

• Financial services: $126,000

• Energy, mining, and utilities: $111,000

• Manufacturing: $111,000

• Aerospace & defense: $124,000

Cybersecurity salaries by location

Where you live and work can also have an impact on your salary. Average salaries in big cities like Washington DC, New York, NY, and Huntsville, AL, are higher than the national average, according to Payscale [5].

As you consider your options, remember that it’s often more expensive to live in these larger cities, which can offset the higher salary. Many companies offer location-based salaries—salaries that take into account your location rather than the company’s location—for remote workers.

Cybersecurity salaries by certification

Two-thirds of cybersecurity professionals support earning a relevant certification, according to data from the 2025 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study [6]. Earning a cybersecurity certification can be another way to boost your earning potential. The IT Skills and Salary survey from Skillsoft found that if you have these security certifications, you may earn some of the highest salaries [7]. Keep in mind that factors like skills, role, and tenure also impact these numbers [7]:

• AWS Certified Security - Specialty: $203,597

• Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP): $171,524

• Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Security: $168,159

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP): $168,060

• Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC): $165,890

What does a cybersecurity analyst do?

Cybersecurity analysts perform various functions related to keeping a company’s devices, systems, and networks protected from data breaches and cyberattacks. Common duties include monitoring systems for suspicious activities, responding to potential breaches, and finding new ways to increase the network’s resilience.

Wondering how to become a cybersecurity analyst? You have multiple paths to choose from, including getting a formal degree, accumulating practical experience, and pursuing in-demand certifications.

How much do cybersecurity jobs pay? Salaries for other job titles

As your cybersecurity career progresses, you may find opportunities to move into more advanced or specialized roles. Discover a few median total US salaries of other cybersecurity roles, according to Glassdoor, as of April 2026:

• Information security analyst: $137,000

• Penetration tester: $154,000

• Digital forensic examiner: $184,000

• IT auditor: $109,000

• Security systems administrator: $115,000

• Security engineer: $170,000

• Security architect: $229,000

• Ethical hacker: $172,000

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of April 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Job outlook for cybersecurity analysts

Cyberattacks continue to grow in frequency and complexity, and companies will need professionals with the latest cybersecurity skills to ensure data privacy, integrity, and availability.

The BLS projects that employment for cybersecurity analysts will expand by 29 percent between 2024 and 2034, much faster than the national average of all other occupations [3].

Additionally, companies have more cybersecurity positions than qualified people to fill them: over half a million open jobs in the US alone, with the national average demand reaching 74 percent in 2025 [8].

How to increase your cybersecurity analyst salary

Now that you have a better idea of what you could expect to earn as a cybersecurity analyst, take a look at how you might boost your salary, even for an entry-level analyst position.

1. Learn new cybersecurity skills.

Companies are looking for professionals with robust cybersecurity skills to face evolving threats. Payscale reports that the following skills can command the biggest salary increases for cybersecurity analysts [5]:

• Open source intelligence (OSINT): Collecting information available to the public from sources like the internet, media, and the dark web, and analyzing it to assess potential threats

• Vendor management: Understanding how companies can protect themselves from attacks originating from third-party vendor networks

• Intelligence analysis: Researching and collecting data on potential threats and bad actors to inform better security practices

• Network support: Knowing best practices for keeping a company’s computer network working and secure

• Identity management: Ensuring that only authorized users have access to data and technological resources

2. Earn a certification or degree.

What do cybersecurity professionals typically major in and minor in? While you don’t necessarily need a degree to get a job in cybersecurity, earning one could help you find more job opportunities and get a bump in your salary. According to Zippia, 61 percent of cybersecurity analysts have a bachelor’s, 15 percent have a master’s, and 19 percent hold an associate degree [9].

If you already have a degree or IT experience, earning a cybersecurity certification could translate into a bigger paycheck. Some companies will cover the cost of certification courses and exams, offsetting how much you’d need to spend out of pocket. Be sure to speak with your manager about options if you’re interested in pursuing a certification.

Read more: Your Guide to Master’s Programs

3. Negotiate your job offer.

Next time you’re offered a cybersecurity job, ask if the amount offered is open to negotiation. A survey from CareerBuilder reveals that 55 percent of employees accept the initial salary offer without negotiating it, while 73 percent of employers are willing to negotiate [10]. While there’s no guarantee that you’ll get what you ask for, you could be walking away from a bigger salary by not trying.

Discover more tips on how to negotiate your salary.

Explore free cybersecurity resources for your career 

Join us on Career Chat, where you can access career tips and explore industry trends. Then, learn more about the cybersecurity industry and potential career paths by checking out these helpful resources:

• Build your knowledge: Cybersecurity Glossary: Key Terms and Definitions 

• Consider your path: Cybersecurity Career Spotlight: What It Is and How to Get Started 

• Watch on YouTube: How to Become a Cybersecurity Analyst 

Accelerate your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses. 

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