Ensuring information security is the main problem of almost all organizations and therefore they are willing to pay dearly in order to get really the best specialists.

Data breaches, DDOS attacks, hacking hacks are increasingly appearing in news headlines, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that IT security specialists are becoming more and more in demand. And despite the significant gap in skills between specialists, companies are willing to pay generously for qualified talent in safety at all levels.
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For example, Jack Cullen, CEO of the recruiting company Modis, says: “One of the most sought-after areas at the moment is cybersecurity. There is a huge demand for specialists, and recruitment agencies are willing to pay anything for a talented employee who can protect data and minimize external threats while ensuring a simpler and more transparent accessibility system from any device, be it a PC or smartphone. When companies designate budgets for personnel, they even say that you cannot save on this. ”
We list the top 10 highest-paid IT security positions that we took from vacancies on dice.com, and the salary range for these vacancies was taken from reports from payscale.com.
1. Lead Software Security Engineer

Leading software security engineers should be able to do practically everything, from deploying and maintaining the software itself to conducting training for employees on how to work with the program and how to follow the security regime. Such specialists, at a minimum, have a university degree in computer technology, or have a general technical education and have completed a refresher course or computer security certification. Mandatory for them is also the ability to work in a team, good communication skills.
The average level of annual payment: $ 58,800 - $ 123,501
2. Head of Information Security

The management team is called upon to prepare policies and, in general, to prepare the structure of the company to ensure the possibility of confronting existing and projected threats. Professionals in this field are responsible for introducing and applying best practices to protect the company, as well as for day-to-day monitoring of the effectiveness of measures taken. As a rule, such employees have a university degree in computer technology.
The average level of annual payment: $ 67,841- $ 197,271
3. Executive Director of Information Security

The role of the executive director of information security is to generally support existing projects and coordinate the actions of employees in the event of any threats, attacks or errors. The executive director, in addition to competence in cyber defense in general, must have a number of special skills and knowledge that are necessary in a particular area of his work, for example, knowledge of HIPAA health care standards, and in the financial sphere, knowledge of FISMA and other regulators may be required. Naturally, such directors possess a higher education in the field of computer technology and a considerable amount of additional knowledge and experience, as a rule, confirmed by certificates.
The average level of annual payment: $ 40,530- $ 151,638
4. Information Security Consultant

Information security consultants work directly with clients to help them develop an information security strategy for the company. Therefore, in addition to a deep understanding of the essence of the subject, knowledge of best practices and recommendations, such employees should be diplomatic, but at the same time firm in negotiations, as well as have strong project management skills and visions of the system as a whole. As a rule, organizations attract as employees consultants with years of experience, knowledge of a particular industry, as well as regulatory acts. Naturally, all this is supported by in-depth knowledge of the security industry of enterprises and information security products in general.
The average level of annual payment: $ 51,518- $ 126,021
5. Information Security Service Managers (CISO)

The role of CISO is very close to the director of information security, however, it is rather aimed at protecting the data and intellectual property of an enterprise and its related assets. The duties of the head of information security include the introduction and maintenance of best practices, as well as the implementation of information security policies in the enterprise. An important aspect of the activity is also the development of a policy to ensure the uninterrupted security systems in the event of attacks, disasters and natural disasters.
The average level of annual payment: $ 89,555- $ 243,372
6. Director of Security

The Director of Security can cover completely different roles in the organization, however, most of his work is aimed at minimizing the likelihood of attacks, which is achieved through staff training in the field of information security and increasing culture and responsibility when employees perform certain information security procedures. The director communicates directly and quite a lot with the staff, with partners and clients; therefore, in addition to knowledge in his field, the director must have excellent communication skills.
The average level of annual payment: $ 70,996- $ 182,236
7. Leading Data Protection Specialist

The leading data protection specialist is at the very edge of cyber attacks, his work is especially hard. His responsibilities include evaluating the effectiveness of organized protection, tracking potential vulnerabilities in the company, analyzing the security industry and monitoring the work of other information security personnel. Naturally, it is he who is responsible for detecting attacks, timely informing the leadership and promptly taking measures to counter attacks.
The average level of annual payment: $ 47,634- $ 105,585
8. Chief Information Security Engineer

Leading Applied Engineers. They may be assigned many different duties depending on the needs of the company: protection of the operating environment, telephone and video communication channel, protection of software, hardware, as well as information that is processed with their help. Work as a whole more or less has a constant focus. As a rule, this includes viewing the program code (in order to identify a vulnerability), documenting the identified vulnerabilities and communicating this information to employees who are responsible for developing remedies and mitigating vulnerabilities.
The average level of annual payment: $ 73,609- $ 148,171
9. Information Security Engineer

Information protection engineers, as a rule, have extensive experience in testing for the possibility of penetration, hacking, testing data protection tools. Naturally, they have extensive experience in the applied use of various means of protecting the organization from internal and external threats. An employee in such a position should have a higher education, be certified in the field of data protection, and also have considerable experience in the practical application of protection tools, their installation, testing and control work.
The average level of annual payment: $ 53,582- $ 124,764
10. Application Security Manager

Application security managers monitor any applications that are produced or used in the organization. Applications must meet at least minimum standards of security and privacy. This role is often assigned to a security director or an employee in a similar position with relevant knowledge and experience.
The average level of annual payment: $ 98.044- $ 176,886