Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Cybersecurity - Career Earnings Analysis (September 2025)

Colleagues, implementing a well-defined, forward-thinking career development plan can boost your career and income growth over a 30-year life cycle. According to Grand View Research “The global cyber security market size was estimated at USD $245.62 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD $500.70 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 12.9% from 2025 to 2030.” Making modest investments in your professional training and certification will reward you with greatly enhanced income potential.

Assumptions


  • Duration: 30-year career lifecycle (e.g. age 25-55)

  • Base Salary (entry level): $139k/year - Glassdoor (compensation will vary by location - we will use a US average for our analysis)

  • Education Level: This model is based upon the individual having a BS/BA degree. A MS/MA degree adds an extra 5%-10% to annual income

  • Training & Certification: 5%-10% income lift/year

  • Salary - Annual Increase per CPI Inflation: 2.5%/year

  • Base Case: Junior Level - age 25/1st certification

  • Intermediate Case: Senior Individual Contributor - age 30/2nd certification

  • Advanced Case: Mid-Upper Management - age 35/3rd certification

  • Expert Case: Technical Refresher - age 40-45/4th certification


Note: This income analysis does not include annual bonuses or stock options.


Junior Level (5 years of experience)


  • Title(s): Junior Security Analyst (Tier 1), Cybersecurity Specialist, Junior Penetration Tester, Cybersecurity Technician

  • Base income: $161,101/year

  • Sample Certs: Certified in Cybersecurity (ISC2), CompTIA Security+, CCNA-Security (Cisco)


Intermediate (10 years of experience)


  • Title(s): Security Analyst (Tier 2/3), Penetration Tester, Cloud Security Engineer, Application Security Engineer, SOC Analyst, Ethical Hacker

  • Base Income: $195,301/year

  • Sample Certs: CISSP (ISC2), Certified Ethical Hacker C|EH (EC Council), C|PENT (EC Council), Certified Cybersecurity Operations Analyst™-CCOA™ (ISACA),  Cybersecurity Information Systems Auditor - CISA ( ISACA)


Advanced (15 years of experience)


  • Title(s): Senior Security Engineer, Security Architect, Threat Hunter, Forensic Investigator, Cybersecurity Incident Manager, SOC Manager/Director, Director of Cybersecurity, Chief Information Services Officer (CISO)

  • Base income: $238,312/year

  • Sample Certs: Certified Information Security Manager - CISM (ISACA), Certified Chief Information Security Officer - C|CISO (EC Council), Disaster Recovery Professional - E|DRP (EC Council)


Expert (Executive-Refresher) (20 years of experience)


  • Title(s): Principal Security Engineer, Cybersecurity Incident Response Manager, Cybersecurity Consultant, Ethical Hacking Advisor, GRC Advisor, Cybersecurity Auditor/Consultant, Principal Security Engineer, Security Researcher, Lead Cryptographer

  • Base income: $389,115/year

  • Sample Certs: Certified Information Security Auditor (ISACA), CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+), Governance, Risk and Compliance Certification - GRC (InfoSec Institute)


Income Comparison


  • Base Case: Junior Level - $161,101/year

  • Intermediate Case: Senior Individual Contributor - $195,301/year

  • Advanced Case: Mid-Upper Management - $238,312/year

  • Expert Case: Technical Refresher - $389,115/year


Note: For a more comprehensive roster of cyber certifications see EC Council, ISC2, ISACA, Infosec Institute, GIAC, Google, Microsoft, Cisco and IBM.


Cyber Specializations, Master Classes and Certifications (samples)



Get started today (teams & execs are welcome).


Recommended Reading


“The Upskill Gambit - Discover the 5 Keys to Your Career and Income Security in the Digital Age” (Audible) (Kindle)


Much success in your Cybersecurity career journey, Lawrence E. Wilson - Cybersecurity Certification Center (share with colleagues & friends)
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