Cybersecurity Salaries 7% Up In 2018
Salaries for cybersecurity specialists are set to rise by 7% this year, according to the Robert Walters 2018 Salary Survey.
That will be the highest wage raise among IT professionals, the recruitment consultancy claimed, with the increase across all roles within IT and technology estimated to be an average of 2%. Developers and infrastructure specialists will also benefit from a higher pay increase (3%) in 2018.
This comes at a time when cybersecurity professionals are in particular demand, with a widening cyber-skills gap estimated to result in a shortage of 1.8 million professionals by 2022, according to (ISC)2’s most recent Global Information Security Workforce Study.
“This survey by Robert Walters is a welcome recognition of the importance of cybersecurity specialists to corporations and individuals in 2018,” said Tim Helming, director of product management at DomainTools.
“As data breaches, high profile ransomware attacks and other forms of cyber-crime become more common, sophisticated and easy to pursue, the need for cyber-security professionals to be incentivised to stay in the industry is crucial.
“What’s more, a visible industry-wide average salary increase could help to draw more talented people into the cyber-security industry.”
However, Ahsan Iqbal, associate director at Robert Walters, was quick to point out that whilst competitive and increasing salaries will always be a draw for cyber-security pros, there are also other important factors for attracting talent that must not be overlooked.
“For many IT professionals, while a high salary is important, there are other incentives which can attract them to a role,” he said. “In particular, flexibility is regarded as highly important, with many IT specialists looking to work for employers who are open to remote working and flexible hours.”
The nature of the projects they will be working on is also considered important to many IT professionals, he added, as is the working culture of the organization they are joining.
“Employers should consider highlighting these aspects of their organisation and the role itself when aiming to secure top caliber talent.”
You Might Also Read:
Three Most In-Demand Cybersecurity Jobs:
How AI Will Solve The Skills Shortage:
