It’s no secret that tech pros with extensive IT security backgrounds are in high demand, especially in the wake of last year’s high-profile hacks of major companies such as Sony and Home Depot. And demand, as anyone knows, often translates into high salaries and generous perks. Which security-related job pays the most? According to a new analysis of Dice salary data, a lead software security engineer can expect to earn an average of $233,333 in 2015, followed by a director of security, who can expect to earn $200,000. Nor are those outliers: Chief information security officers, directors of information security, and IT security consultants can all expect to earn close to $200,000, if not more. Here’s a list of the top 10 security jobs, broken down by average salary for this year: Lead Software Security Engineer Average Salary: $233,333 Chief Security Officer Average Salary: $225,000 Global Information Security Director Average Salary: $200,000 IT Security Consultant Average Salary: $198,909 Chief Information Security Officer Average Salary: $192,500 Director of Security Average Salary: $178,333 Cybersecurity Lead Average Salary: $175,000 Lead Security Engineer Average Salary: $174,375 Cybersecurity Engineer Average Salary: $170,000 Application Security Manager Average Salary: $165,000 While many subfields of IT security prove quite lucrative, there are also other jobs that earn below the average for tech pros. Security analysts will make an average of $59,880 this year, for instance, while security installation technicians—because somebody needs to install the cameras and sensors—can expect to earn $31,680. Compare that to the average tech-pro salary of $89,450 in 2014, which is only expected to rise this year. One straightforward way to increase one’s security-related salary is through certifications. According to a 2014 report from Global Knowledge and Penton, those armed with certifications such as CRISC, CISM, and CISA can expect to earn a healthy six figures a year. But for many tech pros, the benefits of working a high-powered security job go beyond the money; once you have enough experience and training, you get to tackle some truly fascinating problems.
