“High stress, the necessity for ongoing training, and the substantial responsibility of protecting digital assets all play a significant role in the persistent shortage of cybersecurity professionals,” Linder said.

Transparency lacking around salary ranges for cyber roles

Gender salary discrepancies identified in the ISC2 survey were a mixed bag. Women in non-managerial and middle-manager positions earned 5% less than men, $131,000 compared to $138,000, as did female managers, who earned 9% less, $138,000 versus $150,000.

However, women in director and middle-manager roles outearned men in those positions by 1%, $177,000 compared to $175,000, while C-suite and executive level women earned 4% more than their male counterparts, $220,000 versus $212,000.

“A considerable factor contributing to the gender pay disparity is the lack of precise knowledge about the salary a company is prepared to offer for a position,” said Larry Whiteside Jr., founder of Whiteside Security, a cybersecurity consulting firm.

“Many companies lack transparency regarding the salary ranges for their roles, leading candidates to speculate on what they believe the position should pay,” he continued. “Even with thorough research, the estimates may not reflect the actual pay scale.”

Will AI impact pay equity?

The report also identified salary discrepancies among racial and ethnic groups. Average salaries for white men were $149,000, compared to $144,000 for non-white men, while for white women, the average salary was $142,000 versus $136,000 for non-white women.