Ethical Hacker Salary: How Much Do They Make and Why?
Ethical hackers play an important role in the field of cybersecurity. They test a company’s systems, networks and applications to find potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses. In this way, they protect against attacks by malicious hackers.
Ethical hackers are valuable employees for any company that wants to keep its systems secure. For this reason, ethical hackers are in high demand and are often a highly lucrative profession. But how much do ethical hackers earn and what factors affect their earning potential? In this article, we will try to answer these questions.
What is the Average Salary of an Ethical Hacker?
The average salary of an ethical hacker can vary depending on many factors. These include experience, education, certification, industry, company, location, and more. Also, different sources may provide different data. Therefore, it is necessary to look at multiple sources to determine the average salary of ethical hackers.
In the US, the average salary for ethical hackers is $106,198[^1^][1] according to Glassdoor, $135,269[^2^][2] according to ZipRecruiter, $101,570[^3^][3] according to Salary.com, and $85,720[^4^][4] according to Payscale. This data is valid as of 2024.
As can be seen from this data, the salary range of ethical hackers is quite wide. This means that there are many opportunities to increase and decrease the earning potential of ethical hackers.
What Factors Affect Earning Potential?
There are many factors that affect the salary of ethical hackers. Some of them are the following:
Experience : Ethical hackers can increase their salary from the moment they start working. As they gain experience, they can work on more challenging and complex projects, take on more responsibility and develop more expertise. This allows them to demand higher salaries. For example, according to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for ethical hackers in the US is as follows[^1^][1], based on their experience level:
– 0-1 year experience: $79,919
– 1-3 years experience: $91,469
– 4-6 years experience: $105,138
– 7-9 years experience: $113,517
Education : In general, more education is associated with higher salaries. Ethical hacking is a field that requires knowledge and understanding of cybersecurity, computer programming, computer networks and more. Therefore, having a bachelor’s or master’s degree can make ethical hackers more qualified and credible. In the field of penetration and vulnerability testing, 69 percent of job postings require at least a bachelor’s degree, while 22 percent require a master’s degree or higher. This means that a graduate degree can lead to higher-paying roles for ethical hackers.
Certification : Obtaining a certification in ethical hacking or cybersecurity can validate the skills of ethical hackers to potential employers. This, in turn, can lead to an increase in their salary. For example, according to Payscale, those with a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification earn an average salary of $85,720[^4^][4].
-Sector : Ethical hackers can work in different industries. Some sectors may have more cybersecurity needs or budgets than others. This can affect the salaries of ethical hackers. For example, sectors such as finance, healthcare, education, defense, telecommunications, etc. can be sectors with higher salaries for ethical hackers.
Company : Ethical hackers can work for companies of different sizes and prestige. Some companies may employ more ethical hackers or pay higher salaries than others. This can affect the salaries of ethical hackers. For example, large and well-known companies such as IBM, Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Amazon, etc. may have higher salaries for ethical hackers.
Location : Ethical hackers may work in different countries or regions. Some countries or regions may have more cybersecurity demand or supply than others, or the cost of living may be different. This can affect the salaries of ethical hackers. For example, countries like the US, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, etc. may be higher paying countries for ethical hackers.
Other Cybersecurity Occupations
Pursuing a career in cybersecurity can lead to many different career paths and roles. Here are a few different job titles you might consider and their average salaries in the US, according to Glassdoor:
– Computer forensic analyst: $86,871
– Cryptography analyst: $87,177
– Cybersecurity analyst: $81,292
– Influence tester: $94,014
– Cybersecurity consultant: $97,259
– Security engineer: $106,251
Ethical hackers play an important and valuable role in cybersecurity. They test systems, find vulnerabilities and weaknesses and protect against malicious hackers. Ethical hackers are in high demand and are often a highly lucrative profession. The average salary of an ethical hacker can vary depending on many factors.
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