Cybersecurity Pay Ladder: Systems Admin to Security Analyst to IT Manager
Security analysts often come up through systems administration, and the federal data shows why the move is popular: higher pay and much faster growth. Here are the May 2025 numbers.
The pay ladder at a glance
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. | Typical entry education | Projected growth 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network / systems administrator | 314,340 | $62,640 | $99,130 | $155,050 | Bachelor's degree | -4.1% |
| Information security analyst | 190,650 | $75,090 | $129,180 | $199,850 | Bachelor's degree | +21.0% |
| IT manager | 670,570 | $107,550 | $175,140 | $297,510 | Bachelor's degree | +15.8% |
Wages are May 2025 estimates from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; growth and education from BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the range from entry-level or lower-paying employers to the most experienced or best-paid workers. For comparison, the median for all U.S. occupations was $50,980.
Sysadmin to security analyst
Network and computer systems administrators earn a median of $99,130, and employment is projected to change by -4.1% from 2025 to 2035. Information security analysts earn $129,180, with projected growth of 21.0%. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook says analysts typically need a bachelor’s degree in a computer science field and related work experience, and that many employers prefer certified candidates.
Into management
Computer and information systems managers, including security managers and CISOs below the executive level, earn $175,140. BLS says most of these jobs require several years of related IT experience.
Where security analysts earn most
Metro pay varies even more than state pay. The highest-paying metro areas for information security analysts in May 2025:
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $176,120 | 2,280 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $162,310 | 3,730 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $161,780 | 4,700 |
| Boulder, CO | $154,990 | 520 |
| Asheville, NC | $149,350 | 200 |
Where information security analysts earn the most
State medians for information security analysts vary widely. The five highest-paying states in the May 2025 survey:
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $154,940 | 6,030 |
| Maryland | $139,640 | 8,650 |
| California | $138,570 | 15,570 |
| Delaware | $137,030 | 720 |
| Massachusetts | $136,550 | 6,100 |
Raise tips for security staff
- Get the incident work on your review. Documented incident response and audit results are concrete evidence for a raise.
- Remote pay policies. Ask whether pay is set by your location or the employer’s.
Published October 27, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
One more data point from the same survey: the Washington, D.C. metro area, home to many federal agencies and contractors, had the most information security analyst jobs of any U.S. metro in May 2025: about 16,560, versus 11,330 in the New York metro. See the metro tables on the BLS OEWS page for information security analysts.