Ethical Hacking Salary in the US: All Roles

Ever wondered if a career as an ethical hacker is worth it or what could be the average ethical hacking salary? 

Along with a slew of benefits that make our lives easier, the digital age has brought with it an equal serving of threats and vulnerabilities. Popularly known as cybercrime, the darker side of the digital revolution is a menace that keeps growing by the day.

As governments and organizations worldwide increase their reliance on technology to collect, analyze, and store sensitive data, cybercriminals reap the benefits through cyberattacks that range from minor data breaches to attacks on a global scale. According to reports, the average cost of a single data breach in 2020 amounted to US$ 3.86 million. As a result, global spending on cyber security is at an all-time high. 

In a scenario where the global incidence of cybercrimes is on a steady rise, ethical hacking offers some respite. So, here’s all that you need to know about what ethical hacking entails and certified ethical hacking salary in the U.S.

What is Ethical Hacking?

Ethical hacking is the authorized practice of dodging system security and gaining access to a computer system or network to identify potential threats and data breaches. Carrying out ethical hacking activities involves mimicking the actions and strategies of malicious attackers so that security vulnerabilities can be identified before a cybercriminal has the chance to exploit them. However, unlike malicious hacking, the ethical hacking process is legal, planned, and approved by the owner or organization of the system or network.

Ethical hackers or “white hats” are security experts investigating the system or network and performing the required assessments. They look for weak points that could be vulnerable to the attack of malicious or “black hat.” Ethical hackers help improve the security status of an organization so that it can better deal with future threats and divert potential attacks. In a nutshell, ethical hacking involves figuring out ways to strengthen the defenses of a system, network, or application.

Job Description of an Ethical Hacker

Before we go into the details of certified ethical hacking salary in the US, it’s essential to understand ethical hacking and its related job titles. An ethical hacker replicates the strategies of a cybercriminal to penetrate a system or network, but legally. However, instead of tampering with the system, ethical hackers report concerns or potential vulnerabilities to amp up the system’s defenses.

Here’s a list of some of the strategies that ethical hackers employ as part of their job:

• Inspecting security patch installations to ensure that they cannot be meddled with.
• Studying the vulnerabilities of open ports in an organization’s systems and taking remedial measures. Port scanning tools such as Nessus and Nmap come in handy for this purpose.
• Employing social engineering methodologies like dumpster diving to examine trash cans and extract critical information for generating an attack.
• Attempting to evade Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), firewalls, and honeypots.
• Bypassing and cracking wireless encryption, monitoring networks, hijacking web applications, and web servers.

Certified Ethical Hacking Career Salaries in the United States

A certified ethical hacker is qualified for several job titles. Further, the certified ethical hacking salary in the U.S. will depend on the following factors:

• Experience/Job title
• Location
• Employer

Certified Ethical Hacking Salary Based on Job Title

Certified Ethical Hacking Salary Based on Location

Highest paying U.S. cities for an IT Security Specialist:

Highest paying U.S. cities for a Security Engineer:

Highest paying U.S. cities for an Intelligence Specialist:

Highest paying U.S. cities for an Application Specialist:

Highest paying U.S. cities for an Information Security Analyst:

Highest paying U.S. cities for a Penetration Tester:

Highest paying U.S. cities for a SOC Analyst:

Highest paying U.S. cities for a Cybersecurity Consultant:

Certified Ethical Hacking Salary Based on Employer

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Conclusion

Ethical hacking has become commonplace in the Information Security market. Any organization or business that provides an online service or is heavily reliant on digital technologies should consider ethical hacking to be a critical investment. Such organizations need ethical hackers to fire up the security of their systems and networks as a precaution to skirt potential data breaches. From banking and finance to healthcare and governments, ethical hackers are needed everywhere. No doubt, there can be no better time to explore cyber security careers.

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