Can You Make $200,000 in Cybersecurity?
Yes, absolutely. While the average CEH-certified professional earns $95,000 - $120,000, senior roles and specialized positions regularly exceed $200,000. Top CISO positions at large companies can exceed $500,000+ with bonuses and equity. The path typically takes 8-12 years but can be accelerated with the right certifications and career moves.
Average CEH Certified Salary
Entry Level
$75,000
0-2 years experience
Average CEH Salary
$107,000
US Market 2024
Senior Level
$150,000+
8+ years experience
Source: Industry salary surveys, job postings analysis, and certification body data (2024)
CEH Salary by Job Role
Entry-Level Security Analyst
0-2 years
$65,000 - $85,000
Penetration Tester
2-5 years
$90,000 - $130,000
Senior Security Engineer
5-8 years
$120,000 - $160,000
Security Architect
8-12 years
$150,000 - $200,000
CISO / Security Director
12+ years
$200,000 - $400,000+
CEH Salary by Location (US)
San Francisco Bay Area
$140,000 - $220,000
+40%
New York City
$120,000 - $190,000
+30%
Washington D.C.
$115,000 - $175,000
+25%
Seattle
$110,000 - $170,000
+20%
Austin / Denver
$95,000 - $145,000
+10%
Remote (US)
$90,000 - $150,000
Varies
Your Path to $200,000+ Salary
1
Foundation (Years 1-3)
$70K - $100K
- Get CEH + Security+ certified
- Land entry-level security role
- Build hands-on experience
2
Specialization (Years 3-6)
$100K - $140K
- Add OSCP or cloud security certs
- Move to pentesting or engineering
- Lead security projects
3
Senior Roles (Years 6-10)
$140K - $180K
- Become senior engineer/architect
- Develop team leadership skills
- Build industry reputation
4
$200K+ Achievement
$180K - $300K+
- CISO/Director level or FAANG
- Consulting / contracting
- Multiple advanced certifications
Highest Paying Cybersecurity Roles
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
$200K - $500K+
Executive responsible for organization's security strategy
Security Architect (FAANG)
$180K - $350K
Design security systems at top tech companies
Bug Bounty Hunter (Top Tier)
$150K - $500K+
Elite researchers finding critical vulnerabilities
Security Consultant (Big 4)
$150K - $250K
Consulting for major firms like Deloitte, PwC
Penetration Test Lead
$140K - $200K
Lead offensive security testing teams
Cloud Security Architect
$150K - $220K
Secure AWS/Azure/GCP environments
Boost Your Salary with Cert Stacking
CEH + Security+
$85,000Baseline
CEH + OSCP
$120,000+40%
CEH + CISSP
$135,000+60%
CEH + Cloud (AWS/Azure)
$125,000+50%
CEH + OSCP + CISSP
$165,000+95%
Combining certifications significantly increases your earning potential
Related Questions
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