Security Pros Can Write Their Own Ticket
- 1 of
-
Cyber-Security Jobs
Percent of respondents who work in … California: 19%, Washington, D.C., area: 19%, Texas: 8%, New York: 5%, Colorado: 4%, Washington: 4% -
Security-Intensive Industries
Percent of respondents who work in … Government: 14%, Manufacturing: 14%, Defense/aerospace: 13%, Health/medical services: 11%, Legal/insurance: 9% -
Fresh Blood
26% of the cyber-security pros surveyed have been working in the field for less than 5 years. -
Premium on Loyalty
65% of them have worked for two or fewer organizations during their career. -
High Compensation
The average cyber-security worker earns $116,000 a year—$55.77 per hour -
Lofty Ideals
What security pros find rewarding about their work: Interesting, challenging: 56%, Important, meaningful: 44%, Love the technology: 39%, Constant change/dynamic: 31%, Job security: 27%, High salary/benefits: 25% -
Main Attraction
What security pros want most from a job: Cutting-edge technology: 25%, National importance: 16%, Control over work environment: 14%, Work flexibility/telecommuting: 14%, Compensation: 13% -
Future Goals
What security pros look for in the next job: More difficult challenges: 22%, Leadership role: 18%, Start own company/consult: 16%, Become CIO/CISO: 15%, Responsibility for cyber and physical security: 10% -
Quality of Life
Cyber-security pros also want: Flexible work arrangement: 47%, High total compensation: 44%, Training/education/career development: 29%, Respect/admiration: 28%, Relationships with those with similar values: 25%, Substantial vacation and time off: 23% -
High Standards
What security pros look for in an employer: Code of honor: 44%, Reputation as cyber-security leader: 34%, Known for tackling cyber-security challenges: 33%, Relatively high compensation: 31%, Cyber-security career opportunities: 30% -
Dream Jobs
Security pros would most like to work for… Google, Federal government, Self-employed, Cisco -
Glass Ceiling
Cyber-security remains a male-dominated field:, 81% male, 19% female
It's a good time to be a cyber-security professional. With continued staffing shortages estimated to be between 20,000 and 40,000 nationwide, information security workers are able to write their own ticket to some degree. The average cyber-security worker earns $116,000, according to a recent survey from Semper Secure, a public-private partnership that aims to increase the number and quality of cyber-security professionals in the Commonwealth of Virginia. That level of compensation is needed for the nearly 40 percent of respondents who work in two of the nation's most expensive places to live: California and the Washington, D.C., metro area. Still, money is not the top priority among the survey's 500 respondents, who listed challenging work, a sense of importance and the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology as more important considerations than salary. But Semper Secure and survey partner MeriTalk believe that money may be more important than respondents are letting on, so they've put together a salary calculator that security pros can use to get an idea of what they should be making based on location, job title, experience, degrees and certifications.