IT Security Professionals In High Demand - So Can Demand High Wages

A new survey from recruitment firm Robert Walters has revealed that, thanks to the rise in prevalence and awareness of cyber crime, IT roles in cyber security are set to experience an average salary growth of 14 per cent.

In response to several high-profile data breaches in 2015, salaries for head of c yber  s ecurity and s ecurity  analyst roles will increase by 18 per cent, with junior security support positions increasing by 7 per cent.

Steve Corbett, Associate Director for IT recruitment at Robert Walters commented: “Over the last year we’ve seen a massive increase in both permanent and interim cyber security roles due largely to the ongoing threat around IT and cyber crime . The challenges facing companies continue to grow in volume and complexity as cyber security threats constantly evolve.”

“The impact of high profile IT security breaches involving attacks on major companies has served to bring this emerging threat into the public eye, increasing  pressure from regulators and legislators on companies to have a dedicated cyber  security representative and to meet specific standards of security .”

“Our ability to understand the risks, and know what role the best security talent plays in defending against them, has never been more important. Senior managers and board members will have to defend cyber security policies in court if a  cyber attack results in stolen data, financial losses or damages corporate image.”

In the North West of the UK specifically, salaries for permanent roles and contract workers will both experience significant increases – 19 per cent and 38 per cent respectively – with security roles being particularly sought after in financial services and banking.

Wayne Bennett, Manager for IT Recruitment at Robert Walters Manchester added: “The drive to secure top talent in cyber security roles is becoming increasingly noticeable in the IT sector, as employer priorities shift under pressure from regulators and public scrutiny. This trend is being lead by banks and other financial institutions where data security is, by nature, an extremely high priority, with government intelligence services such as GCHQ also looking to secure top professionals into these roles.”

“While other public and private sector bodies are slower to raise salaries for cyber security professionals , we can still expect these employers to eventually increase wages in line with the market.”

Image source: Shutterstock/Andrey_Popov

Author: Sam Pudwell
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