Women make less than men in US cyber jobs — but the gap is narrowing

An ISC2 study of 5,915 U.S. cybersecurity professionals (April–May 2023) finds an average salary of $147,138 and identifies pay disparities: women earn 5% less than men in nonmanagerial roles and 9% less among managers, but slightly more at director (+1%) and executive (+4%) levels; South Asians report the highest average pay ($155,000), followed by East/Southeast Asians, Whites, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Hispanics/Latinx, and Blacks/African Americans ($132,000). The study indicates improvement from prior years’ wider gaps, suggests factors like unconscious bias and external recruitment for senior roles, and recommends standardized pay bands tied to measurable experience to further enhance equity.