Ethical Hacker Salary Guide: India 2024

The typical ethical hacker salary in India is ₹51,230 per month, according to Glassdoor [1]. Pay scale, which lists an annual salary for certified ethical hackers in India, puts the average at  ₹517,569 per year [2]. Generally, how much you earn will depend on several factors. This article rounds up top employer considerations including your education, relevant skills, and whether you have related certifications.

Read more: What Is Ethical Hacking?

Common factors that impact white-hat hacker earning potential

Ethical hackers are the white hats in cyber security. They help safeguard government agencies, defence departments, and business networks from new viruses, malware, ransomware, and more using the same skills hackers employ to gain unauthorised access. 

There is great demand for ethical hackers in India, which typically drives the salary higher for everyone. At the same time, you may see a pay increase or more opportunity for advancement based on your education, skills, and certifications.

Education

A bachelor’s degree is the typical minimum expectation of an ethical hacker. You might study information security, network infrastructures, or computer science. You could also pursue a master’s degree in dev ops, information systems, or another related field to expand your expertise and gain salary negotiation leverage.

Skills

As an ethical hacker, you’ll be expected to have skills in core technical areas. For example, the EC-Council Cybersecurity Exchange’s well-regarded Certified Ethical Hacker Certification focuses on the following nine areas [3]:

• Information security and ethical hacking

• Reconnaissance techniques

• System hacking phases and attack techniques

• Network and perimeter hacking

• Web application hacking

• Wireless network hacking

• Mobile, Internet of Things (IoT), and operational technology (OT) hacking

• Cloud computing

• Cryptography

Yet technical skills aren’t the only thing that will recommend you to an employer. In addition to your technological expertise, employers typically look for strategic thinkers who can be creative problem solvers. You’ll also need to have analytical and critical reasoning skills and be trustworthy. 

Employers typically also want you to be able to communicate effectively (in writing and verbally). Since the cybersecurity environment is a complex one, it will help if you can convey technical concepts without relying on dense jargon. 

Certifications

The EC-Council offers a Certified Ethical Hacker qualification, giving you exposure to over 500 unique attack techniques. This certification’s hands-on scenario-based learning is highly respected.

Other popular certifications include:

• CompTIA Security+ covers a broad range of knowledge about troubleshooting and problem-solving a variety of issues, including networking, mobile devices, and security.

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is offered by (ISC)² and demonstrates your proficiency in designing, implementing, and managing cyber security programmes.

• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) is offered by ISACA and is designed to prove your expertise in IS/IT auditing, control, and security.

Salaries for other cybersecurity professionals

There are many roles you can pursue as part of your cybersecurity career. Here are a few different job titles to consider, along with their median base annual salaries, according to Glassdoor (April 2023):

• Computer forensic analyst: ₹ 8,18,195 [4]

• Cybersecurity analyst: ₹ 5,04,622 [5]

• Penetration tester: ₹ 5,00,000 [6]

• Cybersecurity consultant: ₹8,75,000 [7]

• Security engineer: ₹ 8,31,326 [8]

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