United States
$120k–$200kMid–senior security roles in major US markets; 2024–25 rounded band.
Work–life
58
On-call incident work can disrupt schedules; mature teams use rotations.
Cybersecurity pay reflects the cost of getting risk wrong and the shortage of people who can investigate and improve complex systems. The market is global, but salary, clearance rules and work culture vary sharply by country and specialty.
Demand is resilient because attacks, regulation and cloud migration continue even when technology hiring slows. Entry-level jobs can still be competitive: employers often prefer candidates who already understand how enterprise systems operate and can demonstrate authorized practical work.
The pay ladder
Junior analyst (US)EntrySecurity analyst (US)Early careerInformation security analyst (US)MedianSenior specialist or engineer (US)SeniorSecurity leader or elite specialistPeak
Junior analyst (US)
Rounded US entry-level band in the mid-2020s; location and employer drive wide variation.
Security analyst (US)
Typical range after foundational operations experience in US markets, mid-2020s.
Information security analyst (US)
Rounded from US Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation data for 2024.
Senior specialist or engineer (US)
Common mid-2020s cash-compensation band in large US markets; specialty and stock vary.
Security leader or elite specialist
Senior leadership or high-demand product-security compensation in US technology and finance; not typical.
Pay and life by country
Typical mid-to-senior packages, hours and leave — not entry stipends. Figures are rounded bands with a year and market in the notes.
South Korea
₩70M–₩120MMid–senior large tech and finance roles; mid-2020s band.
Work–life
47
After-hours incident expectations vary widely by employer.
Japan
¥7M–¥12MExperienced roles at larger firms and international employers; mid-2020s.
Work–life
52
Security operations shifts can affect balance; work culture is improving unevenly.
Germany
€65k–€100kMid–senior security roles in major German markets; mid-2020s.
Work–life
72
Strong leave norms help, though incidents still require urgent response.
United Kingdom
£55k–£95kMid–senior roles, with London and finance premiums; mid-2020s.
Work–life
64
Hybrid work is common; consulting and incident work can add peaks.
Singapore
S$90k–S$160kMid–senior local and multinational roles; mid-2020s.
Work–life
59
Regional coverage and high housing costs influence work-life balance.
What it pays around the world
United States$95k–$210k
SingaporeS$80k–S$160k
Germany€55k–€100k
United Kingdom£45k–£95k
Japan¥6M–¥12M
South Korea₩60M–₩120M
United States
Mid-to-senior security roles vary strongly by city, clearance and employer, mid-2020s.
Singapore
Regional hub pay for experienced security staff, mid-2020s estimates.
Germany
Experienced practitioner bands in large German markets, mid-2020s.
United Kingdom
London and financial-services roles can exceed broader UK market bands.
Japan
Experienced security pay varies between domestic firms and international employers.
South Korea
Experienced roles at larger technology and financial firms, mid-2020s.
Key numbers
US job growth outlook
US median pay
NIST framework update
Workforce need
Who employs them
Microsoft
Employs security engineers across cloud, operating systems, threat intelligence and customer security.
Runs security teams for products, cloud infrastructure and the Mandiant threat-intelligence business.
Palo Alto Networks
Security vendor employing researchers, product-security engineers and incident-response specialists.
CrowdStrike
Endpoint-security company with threat intelligence and incident-response operations.
IBM
Operates security products and consulting services across global enterprise clients.
Deloitte
Large professional-services employer for cyber risk, incident response and governance work.
Where the demand is going
Ransomware, identity compromise, cloud migration and new regulation keep cybersecurity on executive agendas. The need is broader than pure technology: health care, manufacturing, finance and government all need people who understand their specific systems and obligations.
The entry market is less automatic than headlines suggest. Candidates who pair security study with administration, software, cloud or network experience are better positioned than those who rely only on a certificate. Senior incident response, product security and cloud-security roles remain especially competitive.
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