The average CISO salary in the United States was $273,033, according to a Security Current survey.
The survey included responses from 74 CISOs or CISO equivalents within a cross section of industries. Salaries included bonuses.
The survey found CISOs in the West earned the highest salaries with an average of $290,750 with the North not far behind at $284,600 followed by the Midwest at $278,654 and the South at $199,975.
Forty-six of the 74 respondents were the first to hold the position of CISO in their organization. Fifty-one respondents said they would be open to accepting a new position in 2017. Thirty-eight percent of those said a salary increase was their top motivator. Other influencing factors included more visibility to the board and executive leadership team as well as an equity stake. Company size had the least influence.
"As CISOs we rely on our peer community when navigating security, risk and privacy issues. The more information we can glean from one another in a less ad hoc and more formal setting, the more effective we can be. Security Current's inaugural salary survey is yet another data point they derived directly from our community and not third parties," said Roota Almeida, Delta Dental of NJ CISO. "Security Current's differentiated approach – going right to the source – is invaluable and I look forward to seeing future surveys and research reports featuring peer insights on the issues that impact us."
