The cybersecurity job market is always on the lookout for new hires. The high demand for professionals in the field of cybersecurity is a result of the high costs of the data breaches and its financial impact on the economy. Employers want to make sure that their company’s sensitive information won’t be illegally accessed, modified, or stolen. That’s why they’re ready to pay a nice sum of money for the services of cybersecurity professionals. Therefore, almost all of the jobs related to this field offer big checks to cash.
Now that we got your attention, here’s a list of the eight highest paying cybersecurity careers.
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1. Chief Information Security Officer
At the top of our list of the highest paying jobs, you can do with a cybersecurity degree is that of a Chief Information Security Officer. CISO is the executive person authorized for the security of information and data of an organization. The person who lands this job has many day-to-day responsibilities. Their duties depend on the size of the company and the type of industry. While in the big companies, CISO supervises a team of security professionals, in the smaller ones, they give this job to companies that offer these kinds of services.
| Responsibilities | Analysis of possible threats in real-time
Help the board of the company understands potential security problems that may come with particular business moves Make sure no member of staff misuses or steals any data Make sure only authorized staff has access to restricted data and systems Stay ahead of the security needs by applying programs and projects that alleviate risks Determine what went wrong during a crisis and ensuring those crises don’t happen again |
| Median Salary | $179,370 |
2. Director of Information Security
A Director of Information Security has knowledge of technology strategy, enterprise architecture, and concepts that CISO knows of. He reports directly to the CISO in big companies, while in smaller ones, they can assume the position of CISO. Their duties consist of executing, arranging, overseeing, and handling technology security measures within an organization.
| Responsibilities | Manage security programs and overseeing security departments
Allocate the budget precisely and efficiently Apply and maintaining security policies and procedures Observe security vulnerabilities and risks Develop strategies to handle security incidents Make sure the security policies and protocols are being followed Provide training and instruction to the staff Employ and dismiss staff members Prepare technical reports for the executive management |
| Median Salary | $145, 642 |
3. Security Architect
A Security Architect is a professional responsible for designing, building, and maintaining security structures of the computer system of a particular organization. For a security architect to make his moves in keeping the computer system secure, he needs to think like a hacker and think about what they would do to harm it.
| Responsibilities | Grasp the technology and information systems of an organization
Organize and design security architectures Complete tests and assessments of the security architectures Create requirements for the firewalls, routers and other network devices Provide expenses estimate Review and approve the installation of a firewall, VPN. routers and servers Supervise the security team Analyze the events that happen Keep the security systems up-to-date |
| Median Salary | $106,362 |
4. Cloud Engineer
A Cloud Engineer is an IT professional whose responsibility is to design, plan, manage, and maintain cloud computing. Being a cloud engineer means that one has a few other roles that come with the job.
Some of the functions are:
- cloud architect
- cloud software engineer
- cloud security engineer
- cloud systems engineer
- and cloud network engineer
Each role focuses on a particular aspect of cloud computing. Essentially, a cloud engineer is an umbrella job position consisting of all these roles.
| Responsibilities | Work together with the engineering team to identify and design cloud-based solutions
Plan, create and develop cloud-based applications Manage cloud environments Provide training for the team on cloud-based initiatives Build and design web services on the cloud |
| Median Salary | $103,921 |
5. Senior Security Consultant
Senior Security Consultants have the same role whether they work for a single company or consulting multiple. They have to analyze security threats by searching and finding potential breaches on the computer systems. Just like a security architect, senior security consultants need to understand how hackers work and then do their job.
Companies hire senior security consultants to protect their digital assets in which consumer data and very sensitive information are included. In case of any security breach, the consumer confidence and the future of the company may be in jeopardy.
| Responsibilities | Plan consulting assignments, schedules, expenses, and resource plans
Propose necessary improvements to the cybersecurity infrastructure and submit it to the management Ensure the new security measures are being implemented |
| Median Salary | $101, 225 |
6. IT Security Consultant
Every organization, be it governmental or private, needs an IT Security Consultant. In an era where technology has advanced rapidly, the risk of hacking attacks is evident. IT security consultants are professionals whose responsibility is to prevent these security breaches. Many former hackers now have the job position of IT security consultant, as they’ve seen firsthand how vulnerable companies are.
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The responsibilities of IT security consultants include, among others, the assessment of software, computer systems, and network for security weaknesses. After the assessment part, comes the step of bringing solutions to the organization’s needs. The last step is to implement those solutions in this way, making it harder for anyone who wants to access the organization’s data.
| Responsibilities | Assess existing systems for vulnerabilities
Develop security solutions to prevent unauthorized access and data modification Prevent financial and data theft Give recommendations for hardware and software upgrades Do malware analysis Perform technical tests or penetration testing |
| Median Salary | $81, 279 |
7. Risk Manager
A Risk Manager is crucial to the successful running of a business or organization. A risk manager’s role is to identify, measure, and assess kinds of risks that could impact it. All they have to do is to advise organizations about any potential threats to the existence of the company or its profitability. They do so by creating a cybersecurity risk management plan. They identify the risks, determine how those risks could affect the industry, and then take measures by creating strategies that would reduce its overall impact or eliminate it.
| Responsibilities | Perform risk assessment
Establish the level of risk the company can take Plan insurance budgets and risk management Prepare reports on potential risks Maintain records of insurance policies Provide training for the staff on building risk awareness |
| Median Salary | $67, 021 |
8. Penetration Tester
Penetration Testers are ethical hackers whose role is to expose security weaknesses. They test the existing security systems intending to identify vulnerabilities on the information and network systems. Penetration testers put to use their legal cyber-attack simulations to identify weaknesses without exploiting the accessed data. It’s the job of the penetration testers to create and use hacking tools to have access to the data they want to make sure are secured.
| Responsibilities | Understand complex computer systems and cybersecurity terms
Carry out onset or remote testing of the network of the client Plan and design penetration methods and tests Suggest methods to fix or reduce the risk of cyber attacks Write reports based on your findings Present your findings to the client |
| Median Salary | $55,035 |
In this list, we have narrowed down the list of jobs in the cybersecurity field to only the higher paying ones. However, before you decide which career you’re going to pursue, we encourage you to initially do extensive research on it, because the salary isn’t always the only factor that determines the suitability of a job.
