The Uptime report

Uptime Report Research · Workforce and Pay

Cybersecurity Salary 2026: A Pay Ladder From $75,090 to $199,850, and the Bottom Rung Rose 7.8%

The typical cybersecurity salary in the United States is $129,180 a year ($62.11 an hour), the May 2025 BLS median for information security analysts. The ladder runs from $75,090 at the 10th percentile to $199,850 at the 90th, and pay at the bottom rung rose 7.8% in a year, more than twice the 3.4% rise at the median.

10th pct$75,090$36.10 an hour
+7.8% vs May 2024
25th pct$97,810$47.03 an hour
+6.1% vs May 2024
Median$129,180$62.11 an hour
+3.4% vs May 2024
75th pct$163,500$78.61 an hour
+2.4% vs May 2024
90th pct$199,850$96.08 an hour
+7.2% vs May 2024

We downloaded the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) files for May 2025 and May 2024 and read the full percentile bands for information security analysts (SOC 15-1212), the occupation code BLS uses for security analyst work, plus four adjacent IT occupations. We then added state price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, industry detail, 12,140 security labor rates from GSA’s federal contract database, and pay records for 84,652 federal IT specialists from the Office of Personnel Management.

The cybersecurity pay ladder

Each rung is a percentile of the national pay distribution for the 190,650 information security analysts BLS counted in May 2025. BLS does not record job titles such as “SOC analyst” or “cybersecurity engineer” or years of experience, so the rungs are pay ranks, not career stages. To the right, the medians of adjacent occupations show where they fall on the same scale.

$50K$75K$100K$125K$150K$175K$200KINFORMATION SECURITY ANALYSTSWHERE OTHER ROLES SIT (MEDIANS)Information security analysts, 10th percentile: $75,090 a year, $36.10 an hour$75,09010th percentile · $36.10/hrInformation security analysts, 25th percentile: $97,810 a year, $47.03 an hour$97,81025th percentile · $47.03/hrInformation security analysts, Median percentile: $129,180 a year, $62.11 an hour$129,180Median · $62.11/hrInformation security analysts, 75th percentile: $163,500 a year, $78.61 an hour$163,50075th percentile · $78.61/hrInformation security analysts, 90th percentile: $199,850 a year, $96.08 an hour$199,85090th percentile · $96.08/hrComputer and Information Systems Managers: median $175,140IT managers (incl. computer security manager): $175,140Computer Network Architects: median $134,050Network architects (incl. network engineer): $134,050Network and Computer Systems Administrators: median $99,130Systems administrators: $99,130Computer User Support Specialists: median $61,860Help desk (user support): $61,860All Occupations: median $50,980All U.S. jobs: $50,980

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national estimates. Annual figures are BLS hourly wages times 2,080 hours. Medians on the right are for the whole occupation, not its security workers only.

A security analyst at the median earns $30,050 more than the median systems administrator ($99,130) and about the same as the median computer network architect ($134,050), the code where BLS files the title “network engineer.” The top of the security analyst ladder overlaps the middle of the management ladder: the 90th percentile ($199,850) sits above the median for computer and information systems managers ($175,140), the occupation that includes the title “computer security manager” in the federal classification.

Pay ranges by role

25th to 75th percentile, line = 10th to 90th, circle = median

$0K$50K$100K$150K$200K$250K$300KAll U.S. occupations (00-0000): 10th $31,200, 25th $37,590, median $50,980, 75th $80,520, 90th $128,560All U.S. occupations$50,980Computer user support specialists (15-1232): 10th $40,980, 25th $49,000, median $61,860, 75th $79,040, 90th $100,540Computer user support specialists$61,860Computer network support specialists (15-1231): 10th $47,120, 25th $58,240, median $76,220, 75th $98,750, 90th $127,780Computer network support specialists$76,220Network and computer systems administrators (15-1244): 10th $62,640, 25th $78,010, median $99,130, 75th $126,640, 90th $155,050Network and computer systems administrators$99,130Information security analysts (15-1212): 10th $75,090, 25th $97,810, median $129,180, 75th $163,500, 90th $199,850Information security analysts$129,180Computer network architects (15-1241): 10th $79,900, 25th $104,620, median $134,050, 75th $168,200, 90th $202,680Computer network architects$134,050Computer and information systems managers (11-3021): 10th $107,550, 25th $138,060, median $175,140, 75th $220,730, 90th $297,510Computer and information systems managers$175,140
Occupation (SOC code) Jobs, May 2025 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Hourly, 10th to 90th Projected jobs change, 2025 to 2035
Computer User Support Specialists
15-1232 · Help desk and IT support, for comparison		 717,190 $40,980 $49,000 $61,860 $79,040 $100,540 $19.70 to $48.34 -3.5%
Network and Computer Systems Administrators
15-1244 · Adjacent role: sysadmins		 314,340 $62,640 $78,010 $99,130 $126,640 $155,050 $30.11 to $74.55 -4.1%
Information Security Analysts
15-1212 · The core cybersecurity occupation		 190,650 $75,090 $97,810 $129,180 $163,500 $199,850 $36.10 to $96.08 +21.0%
Computer Network Architects
15-1241 · Adjacent role: BLS lists network engineer here		 179,740 $79,900 $104,620 $134,050 $168,200 $202,680 $38.42 to $97.44 +7.7%
Computer and Information Systems Managers
11-3021 · Adjacent role: BLS lists computer security manager here		 670,570 $107,550 $138,060 $175,140 $220,730 $297,510 $51.71 to $143.03 +15.8%

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (pay and jobs) and BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035 (projected change). Employment Projections uses a broader employment count than OEWS, including the self-employed.

BLS projects information security analyst jobs to grow 21% from 2025 to 2035, about 40,600 positions, with 14,100 openings a year once retirements and job changes are counted. That growth outpaces every other role in the table; systems administrator jobs are projected to fall 4.1%. Our IT and cybersecurity jobs outlook covers the projections in more detail.

The bottom rung rose fastest

From May 2024 to May 2025, the 10th percentile for information security analysts rose 7.8%, from $69,660 to $75,090, and the 90th rose 7.2%. The median rose 3.4%, close to the 3.0% rise for all occupations. The number of security analysts grew 6.3% over the same period, to 190,650.

Information security analysts All occupations

10th percentile: security analysts +7.8%, all occupations +4.0%+7.8%+4.0%10th25th percentile: security analysts +6.1%, all occupations +2.3%+6.1%+2.3%25thMedian percentile: security analysts +3.4%, all occupations +3.0%+3.4%+3.0%Median75th percentile: security analysts +2.4%, all occupations +2.2%+2.4%+2.2%75th90th percentile: security analysts +7.2%, all occupations +2.3%+7.2%+2.3%90thPercentile of the pay distribution

Each OEWS release pools six semiannual survey panels collected over three years, and the May 2024 and May 2025 estimates share four of them. Treat one-year changes as indicative.

Cybersecurity salary by state, adjusted for cost

State medians for information security analysts range from $81,950 in Montana to $154,940 in Washington. State pay tracks local prices (the correlation between the two in this data is 0.69), so we divided each median by the BEA’s 2024 Regional Price Parity for the state, which measures price levels against the national average. Dots above the red line pay more than the national median scaled to local prices.

859095100105110115$80K$100K$120K$140K$160KU.S. median scaled to local pricesWashington: median $154,940, price level 107.0 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $144,786, rank 1 of 48WANew Mexico: median $130,070, price level 92.2 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $141,055, rank 2 of 48NMNorth Carolina: median $131,540, price level 94.3 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $139,453, rank 3 of 48NCAlabama: median $122,730, price level 88.8 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $138,174, rank 4 of 48ALDelaware: median $137,030, price level 99.8 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $137,294, rank 5 of 48DEIowa: median $119,710, price level 87.8 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $136,403, rank 6 of 48IAGeorgia: median $128,970, price level 96.3 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $133,935, rank 7 of 48GATexas: median $129,890, price level 97.1 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $133,829, rank 8 of 48TXVirginia: median $134,900, price level 101.1 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $133,427, rank 9 of 48VAMaryland: median $139,640, price level 105.0 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $133,042, rank 10 of 48MDMinnesota: median $130,710, price level 98.6 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $132,538, rank 11 of 48MNSouth Dakota: median $116,640, price level 88.6 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $131,669, rank 12 of 48SDColorado: median $135,220, price level 103.1 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $131,215, rank 13 of 48COMassachusetts: median $136,550, price level 105.8 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $129,117, rank 14 of 48MAConnecticut: median $130,570, price level 103.6 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $126,021, rank 15 of 48CTTennessee: median $115,430, price level 91.9 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $125,645, rank 16 of 48TNCalifornia: median $138,570, price level 110.7 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $125,154, rank 17 of 48CANew York: median $134,660, price level 107.9 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $124,776, rank 18 of 48NYArizona: median $125,260, price level 100.7 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $124,418, rank 19 of 48AZIllinois: median $124,180, price level 100.0 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $124,232, rank 20 of 48ILNew Jersey: median $134,820, price level 108.8 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $123,910, rank 21 of 48NJDistrict of Columbia: median $135,090, price level 109.9 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $122,920, rank 22 of 48DCNorth Dakota: median $107,540, price level 89.0 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $120,887, rank 23 of 48NDFlorida: median $124,860, price level 103.4 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $120,738, rank 24 of 48FLPennsylvania: median $117,770, price level 97.6 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $120,701, rank 25 of 48PAOhio: median $110,480, price level 92.8 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $119,085, rank 26 of 48OHNew Hampshire: median $124,000, price level 104.2 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $119,042, rank 27 of 48NHArkansas: median $103,490, price level 86.9 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $119,040, rank 28 of 48ARKentucky: median $103,630, price level 90.2 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $114,941, rank 29 of 48KYHawaii: median $126,250, price level 110.0 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $114,824, rank 30 of 48HIMissouri: median $103,440, price level 90.8 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $113,899, rank 31 of 48MOSouth Carolina: median $105,800, price level 93.7 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $112,855, rank 32 of 48SCAlaska: median $114,990, price level 102.4 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $112,340, rank 33 of 48AKVermont: median $109,750, price level 98.0 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $112,038, rank 34 of 48VTKansas: median $100,620, price level 90.1 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $111,716, rank 35 of 48KSMichigan: median $106,230, price level 96.2 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $110,407, rank 36 of 48MIIndiana: median $101,420, price level 93.3 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $108,669, rank 37 of 48INWisconsin: median $101,550, price level 94.1 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $107,923, rank 38 of 48WIOklahoma: median $94,000, price level 87.8 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $107,009, rank 39 of 48OKRhode Island: median $109,420, price level 102.3 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $106,981, rank 40 of 48RIWyoming: median $98,710, price level 92.7 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $106,494, rank 41 of 48WYNevada: median $106,200, price level 100.0 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $106,222, rank 42 of 48NVLouisiana: median $92,990, price level 88.2 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $105,422, rank 43 of 48LAMaine: median $101,730, price level 97.0 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $104,822, rank 44 of 48MENebraska: median $92,550, price level 90.1 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $102,716, rank 45 of 48NEMississippi: median $87,690, price level 87.0 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $100,848, rank 46 of 48MSUtah: median $99,690, price level 98.9 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $100,835, rank 47 of 48UTMontana: median $81,950, price level 94.6 (U.S. = 100), cost-adjusted $86,587, rank 48 of 48MTPrice level, BEA Regional Price Parity 2024 (U.S. = 100)Median annual pay, May 2025

Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates; BEA Regional Price Parities, all items, 2024. Idaho, Oregon have no published median; West Virginia has no published estimate for this occupation.

After the adjustment, Washington still ranks first ($144,786 in national-average dollars), but New Mexico climbs to second from 14th, and Alabama (22nd to 4th), Iowa (23rd to 6th), South Dakota (25th to 12th) also move up. The biggest fallers are District of Columbia (7th to 22nd), California (3rd to 17th), Hawaii (17th to 30th). For nominal medians for four IT roles side by side, see our IT salaries by state matrix.

Rank, cost-adjusted State Median 10th 90th Price level (U.S. = 100) Cost-adjusted median Rank, nominal Jobs
1 Washington $154,940 $96,730 $211,720 107.0 $144,786 1 6,030
2 New Mexico $130,070 $99,100 $199,990 92.2 $141,055 14 2,470
3 North Carolina $131,540 $77,150 $173,670 94.3 $139,453 11 8,670
4 Alabama $122,730 $66,090 $170,690 88.8 $138,174 22 4,010
5 Delaware $137,030 $82,500 $184,990 99.8 $137,294 4 720
6 Iowa $119,710 $71,550 $169,620 87.8 $136,403 23 1,160
7 Georgia $128,970 $77,060 $178,650 96.3 $133,935 16 6,290
8 Texas $129,890 $77,990 $178,550 97.1 $133,829 15 16,130
9 Virginia $134,900 $81,410 $205,750 101.1 $133,427 8 19,120
10 Maryland $139,640 $79,130 $216,570 105.0 $133,042 2 8,650
11 Minnesota $130,710 $83,140 $169,750 98.6 $132,538 12 2,680
12 South Dakota $116,640 $71,610 $161,700 88.6 $131,669 25 770
13 Colorado $135,220 $87,560 $208,650 103.1 $131,215 6 5,700
14 Massachusetts $136,550 $85,790 $226,190 105.8 $129,117 5 6,100
15 Connecticut $130,570 $79,780 $175,590 103.6 $126,021 13 1,170
16 Tennessee $115,430 $63,870 $250,590 91.9 $125,645 26 3,330
17 California $138,570 $66,070 $221,000 110.7 $125,154 3 15,570
18 New York $134,660 $83,110 $216,220 107.9 $124,776 10 10,060
19 Arizona $125,260 $78,330 $176,390 100.7 $124,418 18 3,420
20 Illinois $124,180 $78,760 $172,830 100.0 $124,232 20 5,260
21 New Jersey $134,820 $86,860 $204,220 108.8 $123,910 9 4,860
22 District of Columbia $135,090 $86,280 $189,510 109.9 $122,920 7 1,510
23 North Dakota $107,540 $69,480 $139,360 89.0 $120,887 31 310
24 Florida $124,860 $75,410 $174,600 103.4 $120,738 19 14,220
25 Pennsylvania $117,770 $67,840 $170,870 97.6 $120,701 24 4,660
26 Ohio $110,480 $68,070 $171,450 92.8 $119,085 28 6,010
27 New Hampshire $124,000 $61,940 $187,820 104.2 $119,042 21 590
28 Arkansas $103,490 $59,410 $140,900 86.9 $119,040 36 1,460
29 Kentucky $103,630 $64,650 $157,810 90.2 $114,941 35 1,680
30 Hawaii $126,250 $76,390 $172,780 110.0 $114,824 17 580
31 Missouri $103,440 $60,700 $161,430 90.8 $113,899 37 3,260
32 South Carolina $105,800 $66,410 $166,530 93.7 $112,855 34 1,720
33 Alaska $114,990 $75,770 $149,270 102.4 $112,340 27 300
34 Vermont $109,750 $74,840 $179,130 98.0 $112,038 29 220
35 Kansas $100,620 $63,730 $155,490 90.1 $111,716 41 1,830
36 Michigan $106,230 $64,150 $165,730 96.2 $110,407 32 3,280
37 Indiana $101,420 $60,450 $163,370 93.3 $108,669 40 2,260
38 Wisconsin $101,550 $62,110 $162,260 94.1 $107,923 39 2,130
39 Oklahoma $94,000 $56,050 $158,320 87.8 $107,009 44 1,640
40 Rhode Island $109,420 $74,880 $170,180 102.3 $106,981 30 710
41 Wyoming $98,710 $75,580 $198,230 92.7 $106,494 43 140
42 Nevada $106,200 $57,160 $178,990 100.0 $106,222 33 1,330
43 Louisiana $92,990 $66,660 $139,190 88.2 $105,422 45 720
44 Maine $101,730 $63,210 $181,020 97.0 $104,822 38 400
45 Nebraska $92,550 $66,630 $147,150 90.1 $102,716 46 1,210
46 Mississippi $87,690 $51,170 $138,900 87.0 $100,848 47 480
47 Utah $99,690 $48,630 $168,830 98.9 $100,835 42 1,910
48 Montana $81,950 $57,000 $158,220 94.6 $86,587 48 380

Where $200,000 is the 90th percentile

Nationally, the 90th percentile stops just short of $200,000. In 16 of the 246 metro areas with a published 90th percentile it is $200,000 or more; among those with at least 1,000 security analysts, the highest are San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($278,340), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($246,070), Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH ($225,300), Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($218,620), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ($216,280). 4 of the 16 are small markets with fewer than 100 analysts (or no published count), where a handful of high earners can set the figure. Our highest paying cities for IT jobs ranks the metro medians.

Which industries pay security analysts most

Among the 27 industries with at least 1,000 information security analysts, Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services pays the highest median ($175,410). Computer systems design and related services (NAICS 5415), where MSPs, MSSPs and IT consultancies sit, employs 43,440 of them, 23% of the total, at a $132,410 median that ranks 10th. Its 10th percentile ($70,740) is below the national figure, while its 90th ($206,920) is above it.

# Industry Security analysts 10th Median 90th
1 Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services
NAICS 5192		 1,040 $99,350 $175,410 $259,050
2 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
NAICS 4234		 2,170 $81,400 $151,520 $208,360
3 Software Publishers
NAICS 5132		 4,830 $77,420 $144,970 $221,690
4 Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities
NAICS 5230		 3,210 $83,610 $139,420 $217,530
5 Telecommunications
NAICS 5170		 4,030 $80,700 $138,360 $183,510
6 Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 5417		 7,610 $95,790 $137,950 $209,860
7 Nondepository Credit Intermediation
NAICS 5222		 2,040 $85,550 $136,530 $207,850
8 Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 3364		 3,660 $97,640 $134,570 $178,890
9 Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 5413		 7,420 $80,690 $132,610 $207,500
10 Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 5415		 43,440 $70,740 $132,410 $206,920
11 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only)
OEWS code 5220A1		 14,810 $76,280 $130,840 $193,440
12 Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services
NAICS 5182		 6,890 $72,600 $129,810 $239,990
13 Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 5511		 19,390 $78,210 $128,950 $174,550
14 Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing
NAICS 3344		 1,060 $77,300 $126,930 $213,650
15 Insurance Carriers
NAICS 5241		 6,390 $81,370 $126,620 $172,530
16 Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing
NAICS 3345		 1,250 $85,120 $126,210 $177,170
17 Office Administrative Services
NAICS 5611		 1,580 $65,150 $125,600 $171,190
18 Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 5416		 12,480 $65,010 $125,420 $209,990
19 Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities
NAICS 5242		 2,460 $72,980 $123,710 $172,840
20 Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution
NAICS 2211		 1,150 $77,430 $120,370 $161,370
21 Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
NAICS 5419		 2,520 $74,750 $119,990 $181,400
22 Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services
NAICS 5412		 4,340 $80,070 $118,990 $192,090
23 Employment Services
NAICS 5613		 4,870 $61,660 $116,690 $178,900
24 General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 6221		 2,940 $71,570 $104,150 $161,540
25 Local Government (excl. schools, hospitals)
OEWS code 999300		 2,880 $67,050 $102,340 $157,060
26 Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 6113		 3,450 $64,110 $100,190 $156,140
27 State Government (excl. schools, hospitals)
OEWS code 999200		 2,440 $65,440 $97,590 $133,520

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates (4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Industries with fewer than 1,000 information security analysts are omitted here but included in the download.

By employer type, private employers pay a $130,310 median to 181,130 security analysts. State governments ($98,010) and local governments ($100,310) pay less. OEWS counts only 340 federal workers in this occupation (median $138,280), so federal security pay is better read from OPM’s own records below.

What federal contracts and federal jobs pay

GSA contract rates for security labor

GSA’s CALC+ database lists the ceiling hourly rates contractors may bill the government under the Multiple Award Schedule. We classified 12,140 security labor categories by title. These are billing rates, which cover salary, benefits, overhead and profit, so they run well above wages: the median security analyst category bills $131.51 an hour, 2.1 times the BLS median wage. Numbered analyst levels step up from level I $101.83, level II $129.05, level III $145.78, level IV $164.15.

Labor category family Rates 25th Median 75th
Chief information security officer 98 $174.70 $204.72 $249.51
Security architect 572 $149.77 $179.74 $221.55
Security manager or program manager 688 $141.33 $168.62 $207.83
Cloud security engineer 401 $138.97 $167.47 $203.69
Penetration tester or red team 582 $120.50 $152.52 $194.34
ISSO or ISSM 213 $124.40 $149.03 $181.70
Security engineer 3,729 $119.59 $147.01 $184.43
Security analyst or specialist 5,524 $105.23 $131.51 $163.91
Incident response or SOC analyst 333 $106.31 $129.60 $164.33

Source: GSA CALC+ ceiling rates API, current-year price, retrieved October 2026. For every IT role, see our IT hourly rates rate card.

Federal IT specialists (GS-2210)

OPM’s August 2026 workforce file lists 84,652 federal employees in the 2210 Information Technology Management series, which covers all federal IT specialists; the file does not separate security specialists from the rest. OPM redacts pay for 52% of them, mostly at the Defense Department and the military departments. For the 40,336 full-time employees with published pay, the median is $148,711.

Grade Employees 10th Median 90th
GS-7 138 $57,331 $58,193 $69,712
GS-9 552 $70,623 $75,401 $91,208
GS-11 3,447 $82,808 $101,126 $120,472
GS-12 6,760 $98,729 $116,071 $133,142
GS-13 11,246 $124,177 $144,487 $158,322
GS-14 9,929 $148,711 $172,700 $187,093
GS-15 3,124 $177,479 $197,200 $197,200

Source: OPM Federal Workforce Data, employment file for August 2026; adjusted basic pay including locality. 63% of GS-15s with published pay are at $197,200, the rate OPM’s 2026 tables cap at Executive Schedule level IV.

What this means for MSPs

Benchmark offers to the percentile you mean. A first security hire with a few years of support or sysadmin experience is not a median analyst. The national 25th percentile ($97,810) is one reasonable anchor for a junior SOC seat, and the median ($129,180) for an analyst who can run investigations alone. Then scale by the state’s price level in the table above rather than by a national average.

Your industry pays the national rate in the middle and less at the bottom. Computer systems design firms pay security analysts a $132,410 median but a $70,740 10th percentile, and at the median, software publishers, securities firms and research labs all pay more than IT service firms. Bottom-rung pay rose 7.8% nationally in a year, so entry offers set in 2024 may already be below the market.

Price managed security from the wage, not from the contract rate. GSA billing rates for analyst work ($131.51 an hour at the median) are a ceiling for federal buyers. The gap between that and a $62.11 median wage has to cover benefits, tools, overhead and margin, so price a managed SOC seat from your own loaded wage cost, not from contract ceilings. Pay for the support staff on the same teams is in our companion help desk salary report.

Frequently asked questions

Is cyber security a high paying job?

Yes, by BLS data. Information security analysts had a median wage of $129,180 in May 2025, 2.5 times the $50,980 median for all U.S. occupations. Even the 10th percentile, $75,090, is 47% above the all-jobs median.

Can I make $200,000 a year in cyber security?

Some do. The national 90th percentile for information security analysts is $199,850, so roughly one in ten earns about $200,000 or more. In 16 of 246 metro areas with a published figure, the 90th percentile is $200,000 or higher, led by San Jose at $278,340. Among computer and information systems managers, the category that includes computer security managers, the 75th percentile is $220,730.

What is the entry level cyber security salary?

BLS does not measure pay by years of experience, so the closest data point is the bottom of the distribution: the 10th percentile for information security analysts is $75,090 ($36.10 an hour) and the 25th is $97,810. BLS lists a bachelor’s degree and less than 5 years of related work experience as the typical entry requirements.

How much does cyber security make per hour?

The median information security analyst earned $62.11 an hour in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $36.10 and the 90th $96.08. On federal contracts, the median GSA ceiling rate for security analyst labor categories is $131.51 an hour, a billing rate that also covers overhead and profit.

Which industries pay cybersecurity analysts the most?

Among industries with at least 1,000 information security analysts, web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services pays the highest median, $175,410. Computer systems design and related services, the industry that includes MSPs and MSSPs, employs the most (43,440) at a $132,410 median. Government employers pay the least.

What state pays the most for cybersecurity?

Washington has the highest state median for information security analysts, $154,940. Adjusted for local prices with BEA Regional Price Parities, Washington still ranks first at $144,786, followed by New Mexico and North Carolina. California falls from 3rd to 17th.

Download the data. cybersecurity-salary-bls-oews-2025.csv (CSV). Licensed under CC BY 4.0: free to reuse with attribution to The Uptime Report.

Methodology

Sources. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 and May 2024: national, state, metropolitan area, national industry (4-digit NAICS) and national ownership files, downloaded October 2026. BEA Regional Price Parities by state, all items, 2024 (released February 2026). BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035, Table 1.2. GSA CALC+ ceiling rates API. OPM Federal Workforce Data employment file for August 2026 and OPM 2026 General Schedule pay tables. The 2018 SOC direct match title file, used to state which job titles BLS assigns to each code.

Definitions. “Cybersecurity salary” here means OEWS wages for information security analysts (SOC 15-1212). OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay including incentive pay; they exclude overtime, nonproduction bonuses and employer-paid benefits. Annual figures are hourly rates times 2,080 hours. Adjacent roles are shown with their BLS names; their medians cover the whole occupation, not only security staff. Cost-adjusted state pay is the state median divided by the state’s 2024 Regional Price Parity over 100.

Contract rates. We queried CALC+ for eleven security keywords, removed duplicates, kept Information Technology categories, excluded physical security titles (guard, protective, investigator and similar), and assigned each title to one family by the first matching pattern in this order: CISO, penetration tester, architect, cloud security engineer, engineer, ISSO or ISSM, incident response or SOC, analyst or specialist, manager. Families with fewer than 30 rates are not shown.

Federal pay. OPM records with redacted pay are excluded from the pay figures. Because redaction falls mostly on defense agencies, the published-pay group is weighted toward civilian agencies.

Limitations. OEWS does not report experience, certifications, remote status or job titles, and suppresses estimates that do not meet its reliability standards. One-year changes compare estimates that share four of six survey panels. Not advice: these are labor market statistics, not a compensation recommendation for any role.

Cite as:The Uptime Report. "Cybersecurity Salary 2026: A Pay Ladder From $75,090 to $199,850, and the Bottom Rung Rose 7.8%." October 2026. https://theuptimereport.com/cybersecurity-salary-2026/

References

  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS tables and special request files (oesm25nat, oesm25st, oesm25ma, oesm25in4, oesm24nat). Accessed October 2026.
  2. BLS, OEWS May 2025 technical notes. Accessed October 2026.
  3. BLS Employment Projections, occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025 to 2035. Accessed October 2026.
  4. BLS, 2018 SOC direct match title file. Accessed October 2026.
  5. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (SARPP), 2008 to 2024. Accessed October 2026.
  6. U.S. General Services Administration, CALC+ labor rates (API: api.gsa.gov/acquisition/calc/v3). Accessed October 2026.
  7. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Federal Workforce Data downloads (employment, August 2026). Accessed October 2026.
  8. OPM, 2026 General Schedule locality table, Washington-Baltimore (EX-IV rate limit note). Accessed October 2026.

Research library

More original data reports from The Uptime Report. Every report includes its methodology and a free CSV download. Browse all research

Threats and breaches

Infrastructure and uptime

Regulation and disclosure

Workforce and pay

MSP market and spending

Comments

One response to “Cybersecurity Salary 2026: A Pay Ladder From $75,090 to $199,850, and the Bottom Rung Rose 7.8%”

  1. IT Services Industry Growth 2026: Census Revenue Data

    […] Cybersecurity Salary 2026Security pay percentiles, BLS OEWS […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More posts