CybersecurityCybersecurity jobs average over $100,000 a year

According to Semper Secure, a public-private partnership with representatives from the government and industry executives, workers in the cybersecurity industry earn an average salary of $116,000 a year.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Semper Secure surveyed 500 workersfrom forty different industries across forty-three states and D.C. One-third of them were drawn to the industry in college, but the majority of them were drawn to the field by the challenge of defending computer systems from hackers.

The salary data included in the survey was in line with what other groups and job sites, including Indeed, have reported. According to the survey, someone with less than a year of experience, no certifications, and just an associate’s degree could pull in a salary of $91,000.

Almost 50 percent of those surveyed said they regarded Washington, D.C. as the center of cybersecurity field. California came in second, and Texas, New York, Colorado, Washington, Utah, and Louisiana are also becoming centers for cybersecurity jobs.

“For top talent, cybersecurity isn’t about just a job and a paycheck,” Jim Duffey, Virginia’s technology secretary, said in a statement. “It is about the hottest technology, deployed by honorable organizations, for a purpose that is inherently important. It is no surprise that Virginia is an ideal location for these types of people.”

When asked about their dream job, many of those surveyed cited Google.