CySA+ Salary Guide: Earnings, Roles, and Growth Potential

Key takeaways

The CompTIA CySA+ certification demonstrates your cybersecurity knowledge to employers. Here’s what you need to know:

• According to Glassdoor, the average salary for an information security analyst, a role commonly held by those with a CompTIA CySA+ certification, is $137,000 as of April 2026 [1].

• A CySA+ certification is Department of Defense (DoD) approved and can lead to a wide range of cybersecurity careers, from incident responder to threat intelligence analyst. 

• You can increase your earning potential by earning a CySA+ certification or advancing to the CompTIA SecurityX certification. 

Learn more about the CySA+ certification, the median salary, and some factors that affect your salary. If you’re ready to start learning security fundamentals, enroll in the EC-Council Information Security Analyst Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to gain job-ready security skills and build hands-on experience in security operations, incident response, and threat hunting in as little as four months. Upon completion, you’ll have earned a career certificate in information security.

CompTIA CySA+ salary overview

Information security analysts, a role frequently held by those with CySA+, are estimated to earn a median salary of $137,000, per Glassdoor data [1]. This figure includes both base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other forms of compensation.

Glassdoor also reports that the estimated median salary for cybersecurity analysts, another role that those with a CySA+ certification commonly hold, is $128,000 [2]. The certification can lead to many careers. These include a forensics analyst, a systems security analyst, a cyber defense analyst, a cyber defense incident responder, a vulnerability assessment analyst, and a security control assessor.

CySA+ is a cybersecurity certification offered by CompTIA, a global organization that offers a wide range of credentials to technology workers. The CySA+ certification validates cybersecurity skills, such as differentiating between threat intelligence and threat hunting, conducting vulnerability assessments, performing incident responses, and much more. 

To earn your CySA+, you have to take an exam. The CySA+ exam is 165 minutes long, consists of 85 questions, and covers four key sections: security operations, vulnerability management, incident response management, and reporting and communication. 

Why CySA+ impacts earning potential

A CySA+ can lead to a number of career paths and demonstrates to employers that you have professional-level expertise in security and vulnerability management. The CySA+ certification is also approved by the US Department of Defense (DoD) and the US federal government. It can help you qualify for roles in the US military, such as command and control systems integrator and cyber warfare technician, and for civilian federal jobs like computer and information systems manager and computer network architect. 

How CySA+ fits into the cybersecurity landscape

A CySA+ is a mid-career certification. CompTIA, the certifying organization, recommends having at least four years of security experience before sitting for the exam. The exam focuses on real-life scenarios and on-the-job decisions that a cybersecurity analyst would need to make. 

Precursor certifications to CySA+ include the Certified in Cybersecurity, CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications. These earlier career certifications emphasize concepts, while the CySA+ certification emphasizes hands-on training and skills

Other certifications that might be helpful for a career in cybersecurity include the ISC2 System Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) certification, which focuses on security operations, and the GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) certification, which, similar to the CySA+, tests hands-on security knowledge. The SSCP and GSEC are also DoD-approved, and many security professionals hold all three. 

To further your career beyond the CySA+, you can consider CompTIA’s SecurityX certification and the CISSP certification.

Read more: CISSP Certification: What It Takes and Why It’s Worth It

Factors that influence CySA+ salary

CySA+ salaries vary depending on factors like role, location, industry, and experience. 

Location

Location impacts CySA+ salary significantly. States with established technology sectors and higher costs of living often pay higher salaries. Below, find the median total pay for cybersecurity analysts in five US cities, according to Zippia [3].

1. Los Angeles, California: $98,067

2. Washington, DC: $96,078

3. Las Vegas, Nevada: $94,145

4. New York, New York: $93,607

5. Glendale, Arizona: $89,291

Industry

Industry can impact salary as well. The pharmaceutical and biotech industry, the construction, repair, and maintenance industry, the aerospace and defense sector, the manufacturing sector, and the government and public administration industry pay the highest salaries. See the total median pay for cybersecurity analysts from Glassdoor by industry. Total pay includes both base salary and additional pay, such as profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other forms of compensation. [2]: 

1. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology: $122,116

2. Construction, repair, and maintenance services: $112,462

3. Aerospace and defense: $111,499

4. Manufacturing: $111,000

5. Government and public administration: $110,446

Experience as a cybersecurity analyst

Employers may prefer experience and certifications over formal education when it comes to hiring. On-the-job experience shows employers that you have a record of navigating different scenarios in a professional setting. See the median total pay per year of experience, according to Glassdoor. Total pay includes both base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other forms of compensation [2]: 

• 0 to 1 year: $103,000

• 1 to 3 years: $113,000

• 4 to 6 years: $125,000

• 7 to 9 years: $134,000

• 10 to 14 years: $146,000

• 15+ years: $157,000

Technical skills and tool proficiency

Gaining certain skills like open source intelligence (OSINT), vendor management, and network support can significantly increase your salary. Other skills that can impact salary include intelligence analysis, signals intelligence, identity management, and policy development. Gaining skills like networking and cloud computing, and using tools like TCP/IP, routing, switching, subnets, VLANs, and VPNs, and platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) can help you move from generalist to specialist within the security field and qualify for higher-paying, more technical roles. 

Scope of responsibilities and role complexity

Roles with higher complexity and more responsibility command higher salaries. An information security analyst can expect a total median salary of $137,000, but a threat intelligence analyst can expect $149,000 [1, 4]. An entry-level job like an analyst requires skills like documentation, alert and event management, and reporting, while jobs a step up from entry-level require more advanced skills like backup recovery, intrusion detection, as well as alert and event management. Security jobs with even more responsibility include roles in management, security engineering, and architecture. 

How much do those with a CySA+ make in entry-level positions?

Both cybersecurity analysts and information security analysts may earn slightly less earlier in their careers, even after earning a CompTIA CySA+ certification. An entry-level cybersecurity analyst with approximately zero to one year of experience is estimated to earn approximately $103,000, according to Glassdoor [2]. Glassdoor also reports that information security analysts with zero to one year of experience are estimated to earn approximately $100,000 [1]. 

Salary by job role

Different CySA+ roles garner different salaries. A CySA+ certification enables many careers, from SOC analyst to threat intelligence analyst. See the types of roles below and their corresponding salaries. 

The salary information below is the median total pay from Glassdoor as of April 2026. These figures include both base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other forms of compensation.

Information security analyst 

Median total pay (Glassdoor): $137,000 [1]

Information security analysts are hired by organizations to protect networks and systems by carrying out security measures.

Cybersecurity analyst

Median total pay (Glassdoor): $128,000 [2] 

As a cybersecurity analyst, you monitor and protect an organization’s hardware, software, and networks from breaches and criminals. 

SOC analyst

Median total pay (Glassdoor): $100,000 [5]

A SOC analyst monitors a company’s cybersecurity infrastructure and helps respond to cybersecurity incidents. 

Incident responder

Median total pay (Glassdoor): $120,000 [6] 

An incident responder is a reactive role that manages the response after an attack. An incident responder contains the damage of a breach and recovers systems to normal operations as quickly as possible. 

Threat intelligence analyst

Median total pay (Glassdoor): $149,000 per year [7]

A threat intelligence analyst tracks information and builds reports to understand emerging threats. Threat intelligence analysts don’t work directly on infrastructure; instead, they collect and analyze data to track and evaluate potential threats. 

Vulnerability analyst

Median total pay (Glassdoor): $145,000 [8]

A vulnerability analyst explores vulnerabilities in an organization’s systems. In this role, you pose as an attacker in a client's system to show them where the security issues lie.

How CySA+ compares to other CompTIA certifications

CompTIA offers a total of 47 certifications focusing on a range of topics, from cyber and data to artificial intelligence, with CySA+ being a mid-career certification. CompTIA certifications like Security+, PenTest+, and SecurityX can all help build a career in cybersecurity. Find more information about these other certifications, like the Security+, PenTest+, and SecurityX, below. 

CySA+ vs. Security+ salary

Security+ is a more entry-level certification than CySA+. For Security+, CompTIA recommends two years of experience.

CySA+ vs. PenTest+ salary

Similar to the CySA+, CompTIA suggests three to four years of experience before sitting for the PenTest+ exam and recommends that you hold the Network+ and Security+ certifications prior to taking the test. As a penetration tester, a role commonly associated with the PenTest+ certification, you can make a median total salary of $154,000 per year, which includes base pay plus additional compensation [9]. 

CySA+ vs. SecurityX salary

A security architect, a job role that often has the SecurityX certification, has a median total pay of $229,000, according to Glassdoor, which includes base pay plus additional compensation [10]. SecurityX is CompTIA’s most advanced cybersecurity certification. SecurityX tests that you can keep systems secure, and that you can also design, build, and implement secure solutions. CompTIA recommends at least ten years of relevant experience before sitting the SecurityX exam. 

Is CySA+ in demand?

CySA+ jobs are in demand. The BLS projects that from 2024 to 2034, demand for information security analysts, a role commonly associated with the CySA+ certification, will grow by 29 percent, which translates to an increase of 52,100 jobs [11]. This represents a much faster growth rate than the average profession. As the number of cyberattacks increases, organizations need employees with skills to protect their systems and data against hacking, phishing, and other cyberattacks. A CySA+ certification can show potential employers that you have industry-recognized education to protect companies from attacks. 

Is CySA+ worth it for salary growth? Return on investment considerations

Considering a CySA+ certification costs $425 and the BLS forecasts a 29 percent growth of the information security analyst role, the CySA+ is generally a good return on investment, with an expectation of industry growth and stability [11, 12]. Adding to that, DoD approves CySA+ for certain high-paying security roles.

However, since the CySA+ is a mid-career certification, it is likely only worth it if you already have some work experience. Employers might prioritize candidates with both a CySA+ and work experience as opposed to candidates with a CySA+ and no work experience. If you’re a beginner, start with a Security+ certification to learn the basics. If you’ve already spent a few years in the workforce as a security professional and want to advance your career, it might be a good time to take the CySA+ exam. 

Explore our free career resources for cybersecurity professionals

Discover fresh insights into your career or learn about trends in your industry by subscribing to our LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat. Or if you want to learn more about careers, skills, and concepts related to the fields of cybersecurity, check out these free resources:

• Hear from an insider: Meet the IT Support Tech Advancing Toward a Cybersecurity Career

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• Explore key concepts: Cybersecurity Glossary: Key Terms & Definitions

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