How to Become a Cybersecurity Analyst
Plan and implement security measures to protect computer networks and systems. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $129,180 per year and much faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$129,180/yr
Middle half
$97,810 to $163,500
Job growth
Much faster than average
Openings / yr
16,000
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Network Security
- Incident Response
- Vulnerability Assessment
- Cryptography
- Risk Analysis
Helpful certifications
- CompTIA Security+
- CISSP
- CEH
- CompTIA CySA+
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
82/100
Work-life balance
65/100
Stress level
52/100
Satisfaction
75/100
Related careers
- Product Manager$166,790 median
- DevOps Engineer$135,980 median
- Software Developer$135,980 median
- Data Scientist$120,230 median
- IT Project Manager$116,580 median
- Site Reliability Engineer$116,580 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Cybersecurity Analyst make?
The median pay for a Cybersecurity Analyst is $129,180 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $97,810 and $163,500 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Cybersecurity Analyst?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, and Management Information Systems.
Is Cybersecurity Analyst a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is much faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 16,000 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Cybersecurity Analyst use most?
Common skills for this role are Network Security, Incident Response, Vulnerability Assessment, Cryptography, and Risk Analysis.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).