IT Security Salaries Expected to Rise in 2011

IT security professionals in the United States can expect starting salaries to increase in 2011, according to the Robert Half Technology Salary Guide 2011 released today. The guide suggests larger increases in base compensation expected in high-demand segments including information security related positions.

According to the report, companies are hiring security professionals to help foil fraud, prevent network breaches and comply with new regulations, to keep confidential information safe and secure.

The salary guide also notes that in addition to specific job-related skills and capabilities, businesses are looking for professionals with credentials such as CISSP, Check Point Security Administrator (CCSA) and Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) - these certifications are often a ticket to a higher salary over standard experience and skills.

"A focus on improving efficiency, managing assets and securing data has increased the demand, and base compensation for IT professionals with ERP and security credentials," said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology.

Some IT Security Related Positions show the following increases for 2011:

IT Security Position Salary 2010 Salary Range 2011 Salary Range Percent Increase Chief Security Officer Salary $107,000-$160,000 $110,750 -$165,750 3.5% Senior IT Auditor Salary $87,000 - $118,000 $89,750-$123,500 4.0% Data Security Analyst Salary $80,250 - $109,750 $84,000 - $114,500 4.5% Systems Security Administrator Salary $78,250 - $108,250 $81,500 - $112,500 4.0% Network Security Administrator Salary $77,750 - $106,500 $81,000 - $111,250 4.3% Information Systems Security Manager Salary $96,500 - $130,750 $99,500-$137,750 4.4% Pre-Sales Engineer Salary $66,000 - $92,250 $69,000-$97,500 5.2%

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The starting salary ranges provided reflect the national averages for each position. Approximate salary ranges for specific cities can be calculated based on a formula using a list of 130 cities listed in the report. The index figures should be used as a guide in determining actual compensation as a number of factors, including company size, benefits, skillset and market conditions will affect these salaries.

The increase of 5.2% for Pre-Sales Engineers shows that security vendors are also scrambling for talent to help sell security related products and services to customers.

Industries forecasting particularly strong demand for IT professionals in 2011 include business services, transportation and healthcare.

"There is a strong need for IT professionals in healthcare in particular. We've seen a strong demand for IT professionals, from developers to help desk, to assist with the conversion to electronic medical records," Reed noted.

The data is not gathered from a “salary survey” but is based on thousands of contract and full-time placements made by Robert Half Technology as well as research on hiring trends conducted by the company. Ongoing salaries are not reported since seniority, performance, work ethic and other hard-to-measure factors can affect pay as individual work histories develop.