Top-paying cybersecurity jobs and salary trends for 2024

2. Network security architect 

Responsible for designing, building and maintaining a company security system, a network security architect is a mid-level role that focuses on assessing information systems for weaknesses. Most network security architects have a formal degree in computer science, IT or security and many have master's degrees or specialized certifications. Popular certification options are the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), CASP+ or the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM). 

Network security architects have average base salaries ranging from $127,000 to $153,000 in 2024, not including bonuses or other additional compensation. 

3. Cybersecurity engineer 

A security engineer is responsible for every aspect of data security in an organization, ensuring vulnerabilities are minimized by utilizing emerging technologies to mitigate threats. Their goal is to reduce business downtime during a disaster, mitigate threats entirely and protect vulnerable data and systems. Ideal certifications for career advancement include CCNP Enterprise, the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or an ethical hacking certification like Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) or PenTest+. More advanced engineers may earn their CASP+ as well. 

Cybersecurity engineers’ duties and salaries can vary greatly based on the size of the company and their experience, but they have average base salaries ranging from $102,000 to $150,000 in 2024, not including bonuses or other additional compensation. 

4. Cloud security engineer 

Large enterprises project that 60% of their data will be in cloud environments by 2025, highlighting increased adoption and cloud spending. With the increased demand for cloud environments and security, cloud security engineers are one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity positions. Their responsibilities include designing and implementing secure cloud architecture and infrastructure, including installations, maintenance and more. Ideal certifications include cloud-focused certifications like CCSP, CCSK, Azure or AWS.  

Cloud security engineers have average base salaries ranging from $103,000 to $136,000 in 2024, not including bonuses or other additional compensation. 

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5. Security sales engineer 

A security sales engineer is a unique blend of strong sales skills and technical knowledge. They participate in the technology evaluation buying process for customers and work with the sales team to advise on technical product aspects. This unique role uses strong selling skills to explain complex, advanced products to often non-technical clients. Although security certifications may not be required for this role, earning a Security+ can help ensure you’re speaking the same language as your cybersecurity buyers. If you’re wondering, "What is the CompTIA Security+ certification?" check our informational hub to learn more about this popular cert. 

Security sales engineers have average base salaries ranging from $94,000 to $114,000 in 2024, not including bonuses or other additional compensation. Like most sales roles, some component of the compensation is often commission-based, so total pay can be higher (and base pay potentially lower) depending on how the position is structured. 

6. Application security engineer 

Application security engineers specialize in anticipating structural vulnerabilities in an organization's applications. They might be responsible for proactively updating software, building encryption programs and executing robust firewall systems. They also perform regular testing and penetration scans, so a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity or IT is often paired with a specialized offensive certification like the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) or PenTest+ and secure coding best practices like the CSSLP. 

Application security engineers have average base salaries ranging from $98,000 to $136,000 in 2024, not including bonuses or other additional compensation. 

7. Penetration tester 

A penetration tester designs and plans simulations and security assessments to probe for potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses that cybercriminals or hackers might try to exploit — and then reports on those weaknesses to organizations. This challenging role requires skilled professionals to anticipate sophisticated cybercriminal tactics. 

The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and PenTest+ are popular certifications for this role, but you can also specialize in different areas of pentesting (see our top 10 pentesting certifications article for more) as you build your experience and value to organizations. 

Penetration testers have average base salaries ranging from $88,000 to $112,000 in 2024, not including bonuses or other additional compensation. 

8. Malware analyst 

Malware analysts are in high demand as malicious software (malware) is one of the most damaging and popular types of cyber threats. A malware analyst examines, identifies and understands the nature of all different types of cyber threats and builds defense systems against them. This is a specialized and technical role that can benefit from offensive certifications like those listed under penetration tester. Certified Reverse Engineering Analyst (CREA) and a strong understanding of the OWASP Top 10 and common vulnerabilities can help succeed in this role. 

Malware analyst have average base salaries ranging from $93,000 to $100,000 in 2024, not including bonuses or other additional compensation. 

9. Cybersecurity administrator 

A security administrator can have different responsibilities depending on the organization, but it is the primary job role associated with the Security+ certification. As a result, this can be a good entry-level role for someone with IT experience moving into cybersecurity and building their knowledge and skills. Security administrators typically help protect computer systems and networks from threats and have duties ranging from installing and configuring security software to responding to security incidents. In addition to the Security+, a strong understanding of networks is essential to defend them, so Network+ and vendor-specific certs like CCNA can be helpful. 

Security administrators have average base salaries ranging from $71,000 to $93,000 in 2024, not including bonuses or other additional compensation. 

10. Information security analyst (Tier 1, 2, 3) 

An information security analyst monitors a business's network for security breaches, responds to incidents and assists with disaster recovery when breaches occur. Many security operation centers (SOCs) have different levels of SOC analysts, with increasing levels of responsibility and salary. For example, Glassdoor has an average salary of $99,747 for Tier II security analysts and $11,476 for a senior SOC analyst. Once you have a Security+ or equivalent knowledge, the most common certification is CompTIA’s Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+). 

Information security analysts have average base salaries ranging from $74,000 to $93,000 in 2024, not including bonuses or other additional compensation from advancing to more senior levels.