Cyber Security Analyst Salary: Pay by Level and How to Start
Kamran Liaquat Ali- posted on
- No Comment
Quick answer: In the United States, information security analysts earned a median salary of about $129,200 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the field is projected to grow 21% from 2025 to 2035. Pay is much lower in local terms in countries such as Pakistan, and everywhere it rises with experience, specialisation, certifications and the industry you work in. Entry-level analysts usually earn well below the median, and senior or specialist roles well above it.
This cyber security analyst salary guide explains what the job involves, how pay changes by level, what drives salary up and how to start. It is part of our Career and Digital Skills guide.
Cyber Security Analyst Salary at a Glance
The most reliable public benchmark is the US Occupational Outlook Handbook for information security analysts:
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Median annual pay (May 2025) | $129,180 |
| Jobs in 2025 | About 192,900 |
| Projected growth, 2025 to 2035 | 21%, much faster than average |
| Highest-paying major industry | Information, median about $138,650 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor’s degree in a computing-related field |
These are US figures. Use them to understand the shape of the career, not as a guide to pay in other countries.
Salary Is More Than Base Pay
Total pay can include shift allowances, on-call payments, bonuses, paid certifications and training budgets. When comparing offers, look at the whole package, not just the monthly figure.
What Does a Security Analyst Do?
A security analyst protects an organisation’s systems and data by watching for threats, investigating alerts and helping fix weaknesses. Typical tasks include:
- Monitoring alerts in a security operations centre (SOC) using SIEM tools.
- Investigating suspicious logins, malware and phishing reports.
- Running vulnerability scans and tracking fixes.
- Reviewing firewall, cloud and access settings.
- Writing incident reports and recommending improvements.
- Training staff to recognise phishing and social engineering.
How Pay Changes by Career Level
| Level | Typical experience | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Junior or SOC Tier 1 analyst | 0 to 2 years | Monitoring alerts, following playbooks, escalating issues |
| Mid-level analyst | 2 to 5 years | Leading investigations, tuning detection rules, threat hunting |
| Senior or lead analyst | 5+ years | Designing defences, mentoring, owning incident response |
| Specialist or manager | Varies | Penetration testing, cloud security, security architecture or team leadership |
The biggest jumps usually come from moving out of pure alert monitoring into investigation, engineering or a specialism.
What Drives Salary Up
- Location: pay follows the local labour market. Remote roles with foreign employers can pay more than local jobs, but are competitive.
- Industry: finance, technology and consulting usually pay more than education or small businesses, because the cost of a breach is higher.
- Technical scope: cloud security (AWS, Azure), identity, incident response and detection engineering are in high demand.
- Proven impact: being able to describe incidents you handled and improvements you made matters more than job titles.
- Shifts and clearance: night shifts, on-call duty and government security clearance often add to pay.
Certifications That Help
| Stage | Common certifications |
|---|---|
| Entry level | CompTIA Security+, ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC), Google Cybersecurity Certificate |
| Mid level | CompTIA CySA+, Microsoft SC-200, cloud security certificates |
| Senior and specialist | ISC2 CISSP, OSCP for penetration testing, CISM for management |
Certifications open doors to interviews, especially for career changers, but hands-on skills are what get you through them.
How to Compare Salaries Across Countries
- Compare against the local cost of living, not just a converted figure.
- Use several sources: official statistics, salary surveys and real job adverts in that country.
- Check whether a figure is a median, an average or a range, and which years of experience it covers.
- For roles in Pakistan, look at current job adverts and local salary surveys rather than international averages; they vary greatly between banks, telecoms, software exporters and smaller firms.
How to Start a Cybersecurity Career
- Learn the foundations: networking (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP), Windows and Linux, and basic scripting in Python or PowerShell.
- Get an entry certification: Security+ or ISC2 CC are common first steps.
- Practise hands-on: use free labs such as TryHackMe or Blue Team Labs, set up a home lab and analyse sample logs.
- Document your work: write short reports on labs you complete and put them on GitHub or a blog.
- Use adjacent roles: IT support, system administration and web development are common routes into security.
- Apply for SOC and junior roles: including remote positions, as described in our remote work guide.
Is It a Good Career?
For people who enjoy problem-solving and continuous learning, yes. Demand is strong and pay is above average in most markets. The trade-offs are real, though: alert fatigue, shift work, pressure during incidents and the need to keep learning as threats change. Entry-level competition is also higher than the “skills shortage” headlines suggest, so practical evidence of skill is important.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the starting salary for a cyber security analyst?
It is usually well below the median for the occupation and depends heavily on country and employer. Check current job adverts in your target market for a realistic figure.
Can I become a security analyst without a degree?
Yes. Many employers accept certifications, lab work and IT experience instead of a degree, although some, especially government and large companies, still require one.
Will AI replace security analysts?
AI already helps sort alerts and summarise incidents, which reduces routine work. Human analysts are still needed to investigate, make decisions and respond, and attackers also use AI, which increases demand for skilled defenders.
How long does it take to get the first job?
With an IT background, many people can move into a junior role in 6 to 12 months of focused study and practice. Starting from zero usually takes longer.
Final Thoughts
A cyber security analyst salary grows fastest for people who move beyond monitoring into investigation, engineering or a specialism, and who can show real results. Build strong foundations, practise in labs, earn one respected certification and keep learning. For more career guides, visit the Career and Digital Skills guide.
