Entry Level Security Salary

I am waiting on my HR department to provide me with my salary range and in the meantime wanted everyone elses input on what they thought would be reasonable. I ended up in the IT Security field by pure luck. My company got rid of the department I was in and I ended up getting moved under the Director of Security. I have finally transferred all of my previous duties to other departments and have been doing strictly Security work for about the past two months. Currently studying for my Security+. My title is Security Applications Technician and I'm located in Northern Virginia. Any thoughts on possible salary range?

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blatini

Your title doesn't mean much. What have you actually been doing that relates to security?

NetworkNewb

Probably anywhere in the range of $30k-$100k based on the description of what you will be doing.

Best of luck getting the top end though!

ITSpectre

Your looking between 30-40K since you are just starting in the security field. You would not be able to get more then MAYBE 45k a year with no exp and no sec+

But you may not even get 30-40K they may start you out at 25k a year then give you a raise when you get more exp. Keep in mind the salary ranges are for people WITH security experience. If you do not have the experience they are going to pay you a low wage until you get the experience and the certs to get a higher wage.

markulous

Yeah, we need a bit more information here (job duties, location, etc.). Going off of that job title I'd think you're software security, but I have no idea what your role is.

cowill

Dude said he's in NOVA...there is NO WAY he is in IT security getting 30-40k around here........LMAO..........A lot help desk jobs pay more than that around these parts

I'm not sure what company you are with....But seeing that you were probably already in IT and you are simply moving over, I would suggest you're looking at a slight bump up......You're company might not be crazy about Security as far as pay, but the rest of DC is.........

For what it's worth, take it and run with it......You were handed a IT Security Role in the DC area...... you're straight for a minute.......$$$$

ramrunner800

ITSpectre wrote: »

Your looking between 30-40K since you are just starting in the security field. You would not be able to get more then MAYBE 45k a year with no exp and no sec+

But you may not even get 30-40K they may start you out at 25k a year then give you a raise when you get more exp. Keep in mind the salary ranges are for people WITH security experience. If you do not have the experience they are going to pay you a low wage until you get the experience and the certs to get a higher wage.

This is just not true. It's totally possible, but the response of between $30k-$100k is accurate. Without more information it's impossible to know. My entry level security salary was $80k, and I had never worked in IT before at all, so $45k is definitely not the top.

ITSpectre

ramrunner800 wrote: »

This is just not true. It's totally possible, but the response of between $30k-$100k is accurate. Without more information it's impossible to know. My entry level security salary was $80k, and I had never worked in IT before at all, so $45k is definitely not the top.

I live in Northern VA.....

It really depends on who he is with, wether contractor or full time.... how much exp he has and what not. Due to lack of info and lack of a sec+.... which is like the standard cert around here for DC, MD, and VA for Infosec.... he is looking around 30-40K a year just starting out.... IF he has no experience.... also it depends on if he is working private sector or Govt sector.... you have to take into account that northern VA does pay more or less depending on where you work.... I know first had that Vienna VA pays very well vs Springfield VA is a hit or miss....

Location, location, location.............

Also downtown DC is crawling with good IT jobs, most that start out between 40-45k a year even with little to a year exp. Depending on the job function.

45K is not the top.... but with little/no exp and no further info from the OP.... 45K is the top for him.

ramrunner800

ITSpectre wrote: »

45K is not the top.... but with little/no exp and no further info from the OP.... 45K is the top for him.

Again, as someone who recently took an entry level job doing security in the NOVA area, with 0 previous IT experience, that's just not true. The offers I was receiving as an entry level security pro all significantly exceeded that. Sure, there are jobs that do pay in that range, but it's totally possible to significantly beat that. Heck, I made more than that as an administrative assistant right out of college. Please stop making these declarations, they're mis/uninformed, and speculative at best.

ITSpectre

ramrunner800 wrote: »

This is just not true. It's totally possible, but the response of between $30k-$100k is accurate. Without more information it's impossible to know. My entry level security salary was $80k, and I had never worked in IT before at all, so $45k is definitely not the top.

You are quite a decorated guy with your certs there.... for someone that never worked in IT before

ramrunner800

ITSpectre wrote: »

You are quite a decorated guy with your certs there.... for someone that never worked in IT before

I don't have no IT experience anymore, I had no IT experience when I was job hunting. Sorry if that bit went over your head. I work for a large, generous employer who sends me to lots of training, so now I have plenty of certs. Finished my third training of the year this morning. Not sure what exactly was difficult to understand there.

Edit: It's awfully funny how brave and rude you are via private message. That's pretty bad form.

Edit2: And now harassing/sexist reps. Nice. A real class act you are. Onto the ignore list you go.

$bvb379

$60,000+ here in Atlanta.

TechGromit

ITSpectre wrote: »

Your looking between 30-40K since you are just starting in the security field.

Wow, I started out at about twice that amount. I had 22 years experience in IT at that point. For my position Senior IT Analyst, the salary range was 65k to 90k, and they hired some people right out of college.

$bvb379

TechGromit wrote: »

Wow, I started out at about twice that amount. I had 22 years experience in IT at that point. For my position Senior IT Analyst, the salary range was 65k to 90k, and they hired some people right out of college.

Yes, I was also referring to people right out of college making $60,000 without previous IT experience, simply a degree.

beads

OK when I graduated from college with a four year in CS finally found a job as a nightshift computer operations supervisor and was happy to have it. I was paid hourly at $6.00/hour with a 10% differential for the first six months then I got a miraculous raise all the way to 10.00/hour with crappy benefits.

Look at the local postings to see the ranges other orgs are offering. Google compensation tables for security NOVA, etc.

There was a time it was very, very hard to make a living in IT - believe it, or not!

- b/eads

636-555-3226

I don't know if this will help you out, but lately I've been seeing some people posting in the comments sections of various websites. Apparently there are quite a few companies with excellent salaries that let you work full time from home, and only 3 days a week to boot.

I kid, I kid..... Well, I do see them, but they certainly aren't legit

cowill

I'm with ram.....There's no way an IT Sec job in the DC area is making 30-40K full time. Experience, SEC+ or not.......Unless you are an intern or a gopher

My first real IT job was Tier 2 Deskside support...I got 45k with only telecom experience...I barely knew how to turn on a PC at the time......

InfoSec is about as high up the food chain you are going to get in the DC area in terms of salary. Your part time Info Sec job should be 30-40 K around here.........