Cybersecurity Analyst Salary in Texas

The workforce research firm Burning Glass Technologies reported that Texas had the 3^rd highest number of total job postings for cybersecurity experts in the country between 2010 and 2014.

Austin’s status as one of the country’s high-tech hubs makes it particularly favorable for cybersecurity experts.

Such high levels of demand create a “talent shortage,” driving up starting salary offers for cybersecurity engineers, auditors, analysts, architects, and administrators. In fact, Burning Glass Technologies reported that the average cybersecurity salary exceeds that of other IT professionals by 9%.

The business-friendly climate in Texas draws tech companies from Silicon Valley that seek less burdensome regulations. San Antonio in particular claims to be the country’s largest cybersecurity hub outside of the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Major federal cybersecurity operations such as the 24^th Air Force Cyber Command and NSA Texas established their operations in San Antonio because of the city’s powerful cybersecurity profile. The San Antonio Business Journal reported that insiders claim that about 2,500 people are part of the military’s cybersecurity operations in the city. In addition, the NSA may employ as many as 2,000 people in San Antonio. These major employers do not contribute to commercial statistics on job postings in the city.

A 2015 press release from the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation (SAEDF) stated that more than 200 companies serve the cybersecurity market in the city including all of the major defense contractors and 100 locally based cybersecurity companies. The SAEDF cites a number of factors for San Antonio’s success as a cybersecurity hub:

• An interconnected cyber ecosystem
• An entrepreneurial culture
• A long history in defense-oriented cryptologic and cybersecurity missions
• A population that embraces and supports IT

The military’s cyber-presence in San Antonio will grow even greater since US Cyber Command Officials predict that they will add as many as 1,000 people over the next three years and increase their partnerships with local private-sector companies.

Salaries for Cybersecurity Professionals in the Major Cities of Texas

The Robert Half Technology 2016 Salary Guide provided the salary ranges for cybersecurity analysts and admins in a number of cities throughout Texas. Professionals with a master’s degree can expect to earn salaries at the upper end of the ranges shown here:

Data Security Analysts:

• Austin: $117,802 – $166,064
• Dallas: $119,453 – $168,392
• El Paso: $79,268 – $111,744
• Fort Worth: $118,352 – $166,840
• Houston: $118,352 – $166,840
• Midland/Odessa: $126,609 – $178,480
• San Antonio: $110,095 – $155,200

Systems Security Administrators:

• Austin: $112,885 – $159,965
• Dallas: $114,468 – $162,208
• El Paso: $75,960 – $107,640
• Fort Worth: $113,413 – $160,713
• Houston: $113,413 – $160,713
• Midland/Odessa: $121,325 – $171,925
• San Antonio:   $105,500 – $149,500

Network Security Administrators:

• Austin: $110,478 – $157,290
• Dallas: $112,026 – $159,495
• El Paso: $74,340 – $105,480
• Fort Worth: 110,994 – $158,025
• Houston: $110,994 – $158,025
• Midland/Odessa: $118,738 – $169,050
• San Antonio: $130,250 – $147,000

Salaries for Information Security Analysts in the Major Cities of Texas

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that Texas offered a large number of jobs for information security analysts as of 2015:

• The 3^rd highest number of jobs of any state
• Dallas had the 3^rd highest number of jobs of any city in the country

The BLS also provides a detailed salary analysis for information security analysts in a number of major metropolitan areas in Texas. Analysts with a master’s degree can expect to earn in the 90th percentile:

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