Semper Secure announced the results of its Cyber Security Census. Based on a survey of 500 cyber security professionals from 40 different industries across 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and underwritten by Northrop Grumman, NetApp, and MeriTalk’s Cyber Security Exchange, the census reveals what motivates today’s cyber security professionals as well as how to train and recruit the next generation.

According to the report, cyber security professionals earn on average $116,000 annually, but are driven by more than a paycheck – they want to work for an employer with a reputation for honor and integrity.

Today’s cyber security professionals have a genuine interest in their work – 56 percent of cyber security professionals say the most interesting aspect of their profession is the challenge, 44 percent say it’s doing something important and meaningful, while 39 percent simply love the technology.

Just 25 percent of cyber security professionals identified the high salary and benefits as the most interesting aspect of their profession. The average salary of a cyber security professional is $116,000 annually or approximately $55.77 per hour.

Concentrated in California and the Greater Washington, D.C. metro area, the majority of cyber security professionals work in government, manufacturing, or defense/aerospace.

“Government agencies and defense/aerospace firms remain magnets for cyber security professionals,” said Jim Duffey, Secretary of Technology, Office of the Governor of Virginia. “For top talent, cyber security isn’t about just a job and a paycheck. It is about the hottest technology, deployed by honorable organizations, for a purpose that is inherently important. It is no surprise that Virginia is an ideal location for these types of people.”

According to a recent report from Burning Glass Technologies, the demand for cyber security professionals in the past five years has grown more than 3.5 times faster than the demand for other IT jobs and about 12 times faster than the demand for all other jobs. While employers may be scrambling to hire and keep skilled cyber security workers, the professionals themselves can afford to be selective.

Read the full article over at : Net-Security.org