Cybersecurity roles are hardly ever one-dimensional. Actually, a majority of pros juggle obligations throughout a number of domains. In response to the “2025 Cybersecurity Workers Compensation Benchmark Abstract Report” by IANS and Artico Search, 61% of security professionals routinely carry out a number of features — no matter their job title. The findings are based mostly on a survey of 528 cyber professionals within the US and Canada carried out between June and December 2024.
Take professionals in security operations (SecOps) for example: 22% additionally carry out duties in utility security, 27% in structure and engineering, 33% in id and entry administration, 41% in governance, danger, and compliance (GRC), and 49% in product security. This mixing of obligations is typical throughout the sector, suggesting job titles don’t usually mirror the total scope of a cyber professional’s contributions.
Nonetheless, job titles are sometimes robust indicators of compensation expectations. In response to IANS and Artico Search, the next roles prime the chart for the best paid in cybersecurity right this moment.
Safety architect
Safety architects lead throughout each compensation class: They earn the best common base wage ($179,000), obtain the best common annual money compensation ($206,000), and have the best price of annual fairness grants (34%).
Greater than half of security architects report their IT background was important in reaching their present position. Widespread foundational roles embody system administrator and community administrator, whereas extra security-focused feeder positions embody security analyst, security marketing consultant, and security administrator.
Because of the nature of the position, professionals in cybersecurity structure and engineering — together with security architects — tackle various obligations. About 23% have obligations that embody id and entry administration, 26% contribute to utility security efforts, and 48% are concerned in product security. These areas are a part of their wider mandate, which facilities on designing and sustaining safe enterprise architectures throughout networks, techniques, and functions.
One of the vital revered certifications for aspiring security architects is the Licensed Info Methods Safety Skilled (CISSP) by ISC2. It covers eight key domains, together with security structure and engineering, security and danger administration, communication and community security, id and entry administration, and software program improvement security. CISSP particularly lists security architects as a part of its target market and can assist place professionals for development into roles resembling security supervisor, director of security, and even CISO.
For these specializing in cloud environments, certifications such because the AWS Licensed Safety — Specialty or the vendor-neutral Licensed Cloud Safety Skilled (CCSP) by ISC2 are extremely advisable.
Related certs
- See “High 12 cloud security certifications”
- See “CISSP certification: Necessities, coaching, examination, and value”
- See “CCSP certification: Examination, price, necessities, coaching, wage”
Safety engineer
After security architects, security engineers obtain the second-highest annual money compensation ($191,000), with a base wage of $168,000. Almost a 3rd (31%) of security engineers surveyed additionally acquired annual fairness grants.
Like their architect counterparts, security engineers strongly worth their IT foundations — 70% cite prior expertise in techniques administration, community or infrastructure engineering, or common IT as important to their present roles. Others come from security-specific paths, usually starting as security analysts or in SecOps.
Safety engineers are liable for constructing, implementing, and sustaining the technical defenses that defend a corporation’s IT techniques. Their work contains figuring out vulnerabilities, testing and deploying security instruments, responding to incidents, and managing protections resembling firewalls and intrusion prevention techniques. They play a central position in each day-to-day protection and long-term cybersecurity technique.
As a result of security engineering is a broad subject, certifications range relying on focus. CompTIA Safety+ is right for entry-level professionals. Engineers with a networking focus might pursue the Cisco Licensed Community Skilled (CCNP) Safety, whereas these working in offensive security usually pursue the Licensed Moral Hacker (C|EH) to develop penetration testing experience.
Profession development for security engineers might contain deeper specialization — resembling in utility or community security — or entering into management roles resembling a security engineering supervisor or director of security engineering.
Related certs
- See “Safety engineer job necessities, certifications, and wage“
- See “CompTIA Safety+: Stipulations, aims, and value“
- See “Licensed Moral Hacker (C|EH): Certification price, coaching, and worth“
Threat / GRC specialist
Threat/GRC specialists command a robust compensation package deal, with a mean base wage of $146,000 and complete annual money compensation reaching $173,000. Moreover, 26% obtain annual fairness distributions.
This specialization presents a clearly outlined path for profession progress, usually starting with entry-level roles resembling danger analyst. In response to a 2024 ISC2 survey of IT security managers, 27% of hiring managers determine danger evaluation, evaluation, and administration as among the many most in-demand expertise within the subject.
One of the vital priceless certifications for aspiring danger analysts is the Licensed in Threat and Info Methods Management (CRISC) from ISACA. CRISC gives coaching throughout 4 key domains of danger administration: company IT governance, IT danger evaluation, danger response and reporting, and IT security. Greater than 30,000 professionals maintain the CRISC certification, with a mean annual wage of $151,000 — in keeping with common base wage knowledge from IANS and Artico Search.
After gaining foundational expertise as a danger analyst, professionals can advance to broader GRC roles. These positions are extremely valued: 24% of hiring managers report that GRC expertise are in demand as a result of wide-ranging obligations these professionals tackle. GRC specialists often lead the event of enterprise IT insurance policies — resembling incident response protocols — whereas managing danger, adapting to rising applied sciences resembling AI, and making certain compliance with region- or industry-specific regulatory frameworks.
A extremely regarded certification for GRC professionals is the Licensed in Governance, Threat and Compliance (CGRC) from ISC2. The CGRC is designed for GRC analysts, managers, architects, and administrators, and covers important areas resembling security and privateness governance, danger administration, compliance applications, implementation and evaluation of controls, and ongoing compliance upkeep.
GRC specialists usually prolong their obligations past the core GRC mandate. In response to the report, 16% are concerned in utility security, 18% contribute to security structure and engineering, 34% handle id and entry administration, and 40% play a job in product security.
Related certs
- See “High 10 governance, danger, and compliance certifications“
Safety analyst
Safety analysts earn a mean annual base wage of $124,000, with complete annual money compensation averaging $133,000. Solely 20% obtain annual fairness grants.
Whereas there’s some useful overlap with security engineers, the security analyst position is mostly extra tactical than strategic, with a robust deal with menace detection and evaluation. A standard subset of this position is the SOC analyst — a cybersecurity skilled who works as a part of a group in a security operations heart to observe threats, assess techniques for weaknesses, and advocate enhancements.
This tactical focus contributes to the practically 35% distinction in common base wage between security analysts and security engineers, who earn $168,000 on common.
The most effective certifications for aspiring security analysts is the CompTIA CySA+, which covers core expertise resembling security operations, vulnerability administration, incident response, and reporting. The certification aligns instantly with roles resembling cybersecurity analyst, vulnerability analyst, utility security analyst, and menace intelligence analyst.
With expertise, security analysts can advance into security engineer and finally security architect roles, providing a transparent and profitable path for long-term profession progress in cybersecurity.
Related certs
- See “12 greatest entry-level cybersecurity certifications”
