Here are 5 Career Paths for a Master’s in Cybersecurity Graduate. Anyone who’s thinking of earning a Master’s in Cybersecurity is likely to be wondering about what sorts of jobs will be available for a cybersecurity graduate after graduation. Let’s take a look at 5 of the typical jobs and salaries that master’s degree graduates in cybersecurity could potentially look forward to.
5 Cybersecurity Jobs for Master’s Degree Graduates
- Lead Software Security Engineer
- Chief Information Security Officer
- Information Security Analyst
- Penetration Tester
- IT Risk Manager
1. Lead Software Security Engineer
Lead software security engineers are typically responsible for ensuring their teams are adhering to secure coding practices. This could involve training employees as necessary. It also involves oversight of the development of the built-in security features on the apps or software the engineer’s hiring organization is developing. According to CIO.com, the typical annual pay for this job was $233,333 as of 2015.
2. Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
CISOs are primarily responsible for devising and implementing their employers’ IT security strategies. Typically, the main focus of their efforts is protecting their hiring organizations’ intellectual property, digital assets or data from security breaches and criminal attacks. CIO.com reports that this is one of the top 10 highest-paying IT security jobs. Their sources claim CISOs earn average annual paychecks of $192,500 per year.
3. Information Security Analyst
Information security analysts must be well informed about the methods cybercriminals use to attack infrastructures and commit crimes. The information security analyst must be able to utilize available tools or be able to create new ones that will sufficiently protect their hiring organizations’ infrastructure from security breaches. If a breach does occur, these professionals are also likely to be the people tasked with assessing the damage and heading up the damage control efforts on the company’s behalf. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, information security analysts were earning median annual paychecks of $95,510 as of 2017.
4. Penetration Tester
“Penetration tester” is a fancy name for an ethical hacker who is paid well for hacking into systems, discovering their vulnerabilities and reporting their findings to the appropriate authorities at the companies who own the infrastructure. Some companies hire their own penetration testers. Many of the top tech companies also operate bug bounty programs, which might reward researchers with hundreds or thousands of dollars for discovering and reporting system vulnerabilities.
5. IT Risk Manager
IT risk management is a complex job that requires the cybersecurity professional to interface with multiple team members, from the legal team to account teams to the company’s business units. Daily tasks are likely to include assessing gaps between the company’s IT policies and compliance with them; assessing the company’s vulnerabilities to privacy violations, data breaches, theft, and other criminal activities; creating and implementing company-wide information security policies and corresponding compliance standards; and providing security-related recommendations to all relevant teams within the hiring organization. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, IT risk managers earn average annual salaries of $139,220. Managers in this position are also sometimes eligible to earn additional income through profit-sharing programs and bonuses in addition to their salaries.
Earning a master’s degree in cybersecurity could turn out to be a smart move for information technology professionals who are interested in earning more money, fast-tracking a stalled career or securing a more prestigious job in a growing field. If you want to accomplish any of these goals, consider enrolling to complete your Master’s in Cybersecurity. As a cybersecurity graduate, you’ll be better qualified for all of the above-mentioned jobs and the lucrative salaries that accompany them.
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