The average salary of cyber security professionals after training at H2K Infosys is approximately $65,000 to $95,000 per year for entry-level positions in the United States, with some candidates earning over $110,000 within the first 2-3 years of employment. Salary is determined based on prior work experience in IT, level of certification, and the type of security position obtained.
This isn’t a mere guess. The data shows hiring trends for SOC Analysts, Security Operations, and Cloud Security positions at the entry-level in 2026. After a spike in cyber crime, particularly ransomware, organizations have begun to value cyber security professionals and the skills they possess.
Why Will Cyber Security Salaries be High in 2026?
Cyber security has evolved to be more than just a sector of IT. It has branched out to be a business of its own. Nearly every organization, from hospitals to fintech startups, is hiring employees with cyber security training because the risk has shifted.
This is the core of the salary increase:
The rate of cyber crime has reached alarming levels. Between the years 2023 to 2025, the rate of ransomware attack was reported to have grown over 60% in the world.
There is a serious shortage of talent in cyber security. There are still over three million gaps in the global cyber security work force.
Specialized security skills are needed for the shifting of companies to cloud and AI systems.
I have witnessed managers in my network hire employees with hands-on experience with SOC tools over employees who only have a theoretical understanding. The practical experience makes a discernable difference in the salary expectations.
Entry-Level Cyber Security Salary After Training
Many of the students who are participating in cyber security training with job placement programs are beginning their careers in entry-mid level positions such as:
- Level 1 SOC analyst
- Security analyst
- Information Security analyst
- Vulnerability analyst
- Junior analyst in cloud security
Expected salary ranges for 2026:
Entry-Level: $65,000 – $85,000 per year
With certifications (CEH, Security+, or SOC experience): $75,000 – $95,000 per year
With prior IT or QA experience: $85,000 – $105,000 per year
One learned I spoke with had previously worked in QA testing before transitioning to cyber security. After six months of training and obtaining a certification, he acquired a SOC Analyst position with average salary of $82,000. His background in testing provided him with the skills to identify vulnerable systems more rapidly.
Salary Growth After 1–3 Years of Experience
Among IT roles, cyber security positions experience the fastest salary increases. The compensation for professionals in this field increases rapidly after they accrue enough experience.
The following depicts a typical growth progression:
Experience Level Average Salary
Entry Level (0–1 year) $65,000 – $95,000
Mid Level (2–3 years) $95,000 – $125,000
Senior Level (4–6 years) $120,000 – $160,000
Cloud Security Specialist $130,000 – $170,000
I have observed that cloud security, threat intelligence, and penetration testing professionals tend to have quicker increases in salary.
How Training and Placement Support Relates to Salary
Training is beneficial, but an organized placement support system is what usually determines securing higher-paying jobs.
Important aspects that contribute to better salary results are:
- Hands-on labs using Splunk, Wireshark, and SIEM
- Resume and mock interview coaching
- Simulations of real world work
- Scenarios of threat detection and incident response
These factors prepare learners with real world cyber security training rather than the basic, certified training.
Employers appreciate candidates who are:
- Familiar with log analysis
- Incident investigations
- Threat detection workflows
- Cloud security basics
This practical knowledge impacts starting salary.
Role-Based Average Salary Breakdown in Cyber Security
Salaries vary based on cyber security roles because of the differing levels of specialization.
SOC Analyst
$70,000 – $95,000
Security Analyst
$75,000 – $105,000
Cloud Security Analyst
$90,000 – $130,000
Penetration Tester
$95,000 – $140,000
Security Engineer
$110,000 – $150,000
Due to a rapid increase in cloud services, cloud security jobs are predicted to have the highest pay in 2026.
Example in Practice: Salary Progression of Career Changers
We can illustrate this with a common path like this:
0 Years
Finishes a training program on cyber security with job placement, receives the Security+ certification
1 Year
Starts as a SOC Analyst, Average salary = $78,000
2 Years
Becomes a Security Analyst, Average salary = $98,000
3 Years
Enters Cloud Security, Average salary = $125,000
People with prior experience in QA, IT support, or networking fields tend to have this kind of rapid job growth.
Impact of Certifications on Salary After Training
The presence or absence of particular certifications has a significant impact on the average salary offers made to candidates.
The most beneficial certifications include:
- CompTIA Security+
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- AWS Security Specialty
- Certified SOC Analyst
In many cases, the presence of a certification guarantees a certain level of job competency. As a result, candidates with certifications, as well as lab experience, stand to receive the more lucrative offers.
Purchasing Hands-On Cyber Security Training
The main reason many employers are reluctant to hire inexperienced candidates is because of the possibility of working with critical business operations. It would be unwise to hire an employee who is unable to manage core business operations.
Units helping candidates become job-ready faster include:
* Threat simulation exercises
* SIEM tools such as Splunk
* Incident response simulation
* Vulnerability scanning
Therefore, cyber security sales training and security awareness training become equally essential. Businesses require specialists who can manage security and train teams to mitigate breaches.
In regard to wages, the US offers the top salaries in comparison to other countries.
* United States – $65,000 – $110,000 (entry level)
* Canada – $60,000 – $90,000 (entry level)
* India – ₹6,00,000 – ₹18,00,000 (annually)
* Europe – €50,000 – €85,000 (entry level)
Cyber Security Current Hiring Trends (2026)
Hiring for Cyber Security consistently remains strong in comparison to other tech roles that have higher rates of lay-offs. This is why many organizations are increasing levels of security hiring.
Key areas of hiring include:
* Banking and Finance
* Government
* SaaS
* Cloud service providers
Security teams are growing to address the risks posed.
* AI
* Insider threats
* Cloud
Cyber Security is one of the top career choices for:
* High salary growth potential
* Job security
* Flexibility
* Increase in the ability to specialize
* Remote working
It is worth mentioning that the average salary of many cyber security roles are higher than the majority of other roles in IT, even at the entry level.
Elements Influencing Salary Post-Training
Immediately after training, everyone doesn’t receive the same wages. Significant components comprise:
Prior experience in IT
Level of Certification
Experience in hands-on projects.
Performance in interviews
Geographical area
Skills in Cloud Security
Typically, candidates with SOC and Cloud proficiency earn higher than the rest.
Conclusion
At H2K Infosys, the salaries in Cyber Security are very attractive. Entry-level professionals in this field earn between $65,000 and $95,000, and there is a very high possibility of earning this average salary in a short period of time. The rate at which employers in the security field are looking for new employees is increasing due to the increase in Cyber threats. Cyber security professionals, after obtaining training, certifications, and hands on experience, establish safe and high earning professions which, due to the nature of this field, will continue to increase every year.
