Cybersecurity Bootcamp Salary Report 2025: Entry-Level, Mid-Career & Certification Premiums in the USA
Updated on May 03, 2025 3 minutes read
TL;DR (May 2025)
• Entry-level grads earn ≈ $71.8 K – $98.7 K (median Glassdoor) with upside to $132 K on job boards.
• U.S. mean cyber salary is $127,730 (BLS) and climbs past $186 K at the 90th percentile. • Seasoned engineers average $162 K base / $194 K total.
• Holding a CISSP lifts North-American pay to $147,757—a ~30 % premium.
How We Collected & Verified the Numbers
| Source | Latest Release | Role in Report |
|---|---|---|
| BLS OEWS | May 2024 | National & state wages |
| ZipRecruiter | Apr 2025 | “Entry-Level Cybersecurity” salaries |
| Glassdoor | 2025 | Self-reported Security-Analyst comp |
| Built In | 2025 | Mid-career engineer comp |
| ISC2 Workforce Study | 2024 | CISSP salary premium |
| CompTIA / ZipRecruiter | 2025 | Security+ uplift |
| Dice Tech Salary | 2025 | YoY tech-pay trend |
| BLS OOH | Apr 2025 | 2023-33 job-growth outlook |
All figures are U.S. dollars; data refreshed 2 May 2025.
2025 Salary Snapshot
| Role / Percentile | Low 10 % | Mean / Median | High 90 % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information-Security Analyst (BLS) | $69,210 | $127,730 | $186,420 |
| Entry-Level Cybersecurity (ZipRecruiter) | $90,459 | $132,962 | $166 K + |
| Security Analyst total comp (Glassdoor) | $71,843 | $98,667 | $143 K + |
| Cybersecurity Engineer (Built In) | $150,117 base | — | $203,617 total |
Entry-Level Roles & Pay After a Bootcamp
Security Analyst / SOC Tier 1
Median total comp: $98.7 K; public-sector floors around $70 K; cloud-focused employers hit $120 K.
Junior Penetration Tester
ZipRecruiter listings cluster $82 K – $120 K; OSCP holders trend to the top.
Incident-Responder (MSSP)
Ads show $75 K – $95 K plus shift differentials; Dice reports +11 % YoY demand.
In 2025 a U.S. cybersecurity-bootcamp graduate can expect $71,800-$98,700 in total first-year compensation.
→ Explore Code Labs Academy’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp
Mid-Career Earnings (3-10 Years)
The curve above tracks the jump from high-70 Ks to $194 K by year 10. Cloud-security architects and red-team leads command the top band. Federal-contract hubs (DC/VA/MD) post medians $134 K +.
Certification Premiums
| Certification | Avg. Salary | Lift vs. No-Cert |
|---|---|---|
| None | $90 K | — |
| Security+ | $94 K | +4 % |
| OSCP | $123 K | +37 % |
| CISSP | $147,757 | +64 % |
FAQ – Is CISSP worth it before 5 years?
Most employers require 5 years’ experience to *hold* CISSP, so start with Security+ or OSCP and sit CISSP once you log the hours.Regional & Remote Variations
| State | Mean Info-Sec Analyst Pay |
|---|---|
| New York | $140,770 |
| Virginia | $134,550 |
| District of Columbia | $134,810 |
Remote-first employers average $203,617 total comp (Built In Remote sample ).
Cost-of-living tip: $130 K in Austin (COL 70) ≈ $106 K real-income in San Francisco (COL 92).
Salary-Negotiation Playbook for 2025
- Benchmark first – cite the BLS mean $127,730 and Dice tech-pay YoY +1.2 %.
- Lead with your cert – “CISSP” or “OSCP” trips recruiter filters.
- Quantify results – e.g. “closed 95 % of Tier-1 tickets within SLA.”
- Ask for cash + equity – mid-career engineers average $32 K extra cash.
Future Outlook & Demand
The U.S. BLS projects +33 % job growth (2023-33)—over 6× the national average.
ISC2 still counts a 4 million-person global talent gap, keeping salaries hot.