Cyber security jobs in 2026 typically pay from around $65,000–$85,000 for true entry-level roles up to $160,000+ for senior engineers and over $200,000 for leadership roles like CISO in the U.S.

Overall pay range

  • Many sources place the overall average cybersecurity salary in the U.S. in the low‑to‑mid $130,000s per year , reflecting a mix of mid and senior roles rather than pure entry level.
  • A realistic broad range for most full‑time cyber roles (not executives) is about $75,000–$160,000 , depending on specialization, seniority, and location.

By experience level

  • Entry level (0–1 year, analyst / junior SOC): about $65,000–$90,000 , with some salary guides citing starting bands of $65,000–$85,000 for information security analysts.
  • Mid‑level (2–5 years, engineer / consultant): common ranges cluster around $100,000–$150,000 , with mid‑level cybersecurity engineers often between $128,000–$150,000+ nationally and higher in big tech hubs.
  • Senior / lead (5+ years): senior engineers, architects, and specialized roles frequently sit in the $140,000–$190,000+ band, with some datasets showing experienced professionals hitting $160,000+ and cleared roles adding a premium.

By common job title

Here’s a simplified look at typical annual base salary ranges in 2026 for the U.S.:

  • Cybersecurity / SOC Analyst: roughly $70,000–$105,000.
  • Penetration Tester (ethical hacker): often around $90,000–$130,000 , with some guides listing similar or slightly higher high‑end values.
  • Security / Cybersecurity Engineer: commonly $100,000–$150,000+ , with mid‑level bands in the $128,000–$150,000 area and higher for certain markets.
  • Cloud / Application Security Engineer: typically $95,000–$160,000 , with cloud roles skewing toward the upper end of that range.
  • Security Consultant / Risk / GRC roles: frequently around $100,000–$150,000 depending on responsibilities and sector.
  • Security Architect / similar senior technical roles: commonly $130,000–$190,000 per year.
  • CISO / security director level: can run anywhere from about $160,000 to well over $250,000 , with some reports noting higher packages in large enterprises.

What makes pay go up or down

  • Location: Big metro and tech hubs (like New York or San Francisco in the U.S.) regularly show higher bands, sometimes pushing mid‑level engineers into $140,000–$180,000+ ranges.
  • Clearance and industry: Roles needing Top Secret or similar clearances can add around $20,000 to pay, and sectors like defense, finance, and big tech tend to pay above average.
  • Specialization & skills: Cloud, DevSecOps, and advanced engineering roles (e.g., detection engineer, senior DevSecOps) often appear at the top of salary guides with ranges around $150,000–$190,000.
  • Certifications & track record: Recognized certs (CISSP, OSCP, etc.) and proven experience in high‑impact projects correlate with higher offers, even if some salary datasets show mixed patterns depending on how employers value specific certifications.

Forum chatter and real‑world feel

  • On cybersecurity forums, it is common to see people with a couple of years of experience reporting salaries in the low‑ to mid‑six figures , which aligns with the higher ends of the guides for mid‑level roles.
  • There are also posts from professionals in governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) or questionnaire‑heavy security jobs saying they earn six‑figure salaries while doing less hands‑on technical work, which shows how broad the pay landscape can be.

TL;DR: If you are just starting, think in the $65,000–$90,000 range, aim for $100,000–$150,000 after a few solid years, and know that specialized senior and leadership cyber roles regularly climb into the $160,000–$200,000+ bracket in 2026.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.