According to Payscale, security specialists with 10 or more years of experience earned an average annual salary of $98,389 as of September 2021. Security specialist salary prospects improve as employees gain more specialized skills in areas like risk management, security information and event management, cybersecurity, and security testing and auditing. Employers often require prospective cybersecurity specialists to have prior job experience, potentially through entry-level positions with information security teams or internships completed as part of college studies.

• There are many pathways that people take to become a cybersecurity specialist, but they all involve some combination of education, specialized training, and experience.
• Security specialists also secure data networks, intercept security breaches, and make changes to improve security.
• Earning a master’s degree in a related field shows that you have extensive knowledge in the area and have an even more extensive understanding of IT Security.
• The survey is distributed to IT professionals around the world by technology providers, certification bodies, and Skillsoft.
• Validate skills in various cybersecurity areas, including offensive operations, cyber defense, cloud security, industrial control systems and more.

All Integrity Network members are paid members of the Red Ventures Education Integrity Network. Contact recruiters directly to double-check that your qualification will be right for the specific job you’re aiming for. However, you will also be expected to engage in manual checks and tests to ensure that you don’t miss any issues. Matt Whittle is a freelance writer and editor who holds a BA in English from Penn State University. Before shifting to education-related content, he worked in the wine industry, editing tasting notes and reviews. Matt lives in Warrington, Pennsylvania, where he spends his free time watching movies with his family and recording music.

How long does it take to become an IT security specialist?

Regardless of your degree, it is important to constantly educate yourself on new technologies and threats. Sometimes, this may mean taking additional cyber certifications how to become a security specialist or classes after you are hired. Cybersecurity specialists create and implement security audits across computer hardware and software systems.

According to Glassdoor.com, the national average salary for an IT security specialist is $69,123, based on a scale that checks in at $45,000 per year on the low end and up to $102,000 per year at the high end. The pay rate can depend on the industry—for example, companies such as Target pay as much as $155,892 https://remotemode.net/ per year for an IT security specialist, while Boeing offers an annual salary of $119,450. Qualified cybersecurity specialists need a strong foundation of soft and hard skills to complete their daily tasks. Some of those skills include communication, collaboration, malware prevention, and computer forensics.

What is a cybersecurity specialist?

U.S. citizens can also apply for cybersecurity jobs with the federal government via USAJobs. To build your portfolio, consider working on open-source cybersecurity projects, participating in hackathons and sharing your knowledge on public platforms. You can host your projects in a private GitHub repository and grant access to hiring managers on demand. With a certification, you can establish professional credibility and boost your chances of landing the job. Use this Cyber Security Specialist job description to advertise your vacancies and find qualified candidates.

The exam tests candidates’ abilities to design new solutions and improve them over time, while migrating and modernizing workloads. Also ranked on this year’s overall top-paying certifications list, the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional commands high salaries given the output of these professionals. Globally, artificial intelligence and machine learning are priority areas of investment for tech leaders. Most leaders say their team’s skills in this domain aren’t where they could be, with only 8% saying they employ highly skilled workers. Please note jobs and/or career outcomes highlighted in this blog do not reflect jobs or career outcomes expected from any Post program.

Decoding the Role: What Does a Cyber Security Analyst Do?

Like most other careers in cybersecurity, it’ll be a great start to earn your degree relating to the cybersecurity specialist category and then get industry certifications, clearances, and practical experience. Payscale also reports that in 2023, cybersecurity specialists will be compensated across a wide range, depending on experience, responsibilities, and geography. According to a recent PayScale questionnaire, most employees with the job title cybersecurity specialists responded that they have a high level of job satisfaction. An employer might want candidates to have gained specific certificates, as these can teach you particular essential skills. Also, even if one of these certificates isn’t required for a role, it may still be preferable, or at least beneficial.

They make sure that the systems perform the way they are supposed to, and that they are safe from attack. Security+ is a CompTIA certification that is considered a basic cert among cybersecurity professionals. You can also find plenty of vacancies for security specialist roles on the major job sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, Monster, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter, as well as on more niche job sites, such as CyberSecJobs.com. If you are part of an existing IT team, make sure you’re aware of the internal recruitment process and any openings for security specialist roles.

Related career resources.

Globally, 1,127 survey respondents reported having earned an AWS certification, with the most popular being its foundational credential, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. Across all regions, the average certification holder reports making six figures — further evidence of the priority placed on cloud projects and skills. As the world becomes more dependent on technology for business operations and the exchange of information, companies simply can’t afford a data breach.