Average North American CISO pay now $565K, mainly thanks to one weird trick

A survey of nearly 700 CISOs in the US and Canada (IANS Research/Artico) reports average total compensation of $565k (median $403k), with the top 10% exceeding $1M; switching jobs or leveraging counteroffers yielded the largest increases (~31%) versus annual raises (~6.3%). Turnover has fallen since 2022, equity is increasingly used for retention, and total compensation is highest in tech (despite financial services having higher base pay), while education and hospitals trail. Hybrid/office-based CISOs saw larger raises than fully remote peers, and regional pay is highest in California and the Northeast, with the Southeast also strong and Canada lowest.