Highest-Paying Cybersecurity Certifications in 2026, Ranked by Reported Salary

Updated October 27, 2026. Every salary figure on this page comes from a published source we link to: ISC2’s 2025 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, ISACA’s certification pages and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. We removed the exam fees that appeared in the older version of this page, because they change often. Each certification’s official page has the current price.

The first version of this list, from 2023, ranked seven certifications without showing any pay data. This version ranks only the certifications whose issuers publish holder salary figures, and it shows the number, the source and how it was measured. If you searched for the highest paying IT certifications of 2023, these are the figures that replaced them.

The short answer:

• Highest ISC2 median: ISSAP, the security architecture concentration, at $140,620 globally, followed by ISSEP ($136,800) and CGRC ($134,500) (ISC2).
• Highest ISACA average: CRISC at US$151,000, then CDPSE at US$150,000. ISACA lists CISA and CISM at US$149,000+ (ISACA).
• Best-known names in North America: CISSP holders there report a median of $150,000 and CCSP holders $146,000 (ISC2 CISSP, ISC2 CCSP).
• The job matters more than the letters: BLS puts the May 2025 median for information security analysts at $129,180 and for computer and information systems managers, the occupation that includes security managers and CISOs, at $175,140 (BLS, BLS).

Highest-paying ISC2 certifications, ranked by median salary

ISC2 published these medians in July 2026 from self-reported answers to its 2025 Cybersecurity Workforce Study. They are global figures in U.S. dollars. ISC2 shows a regional breakdown only where it has at least 50 valid responses (ISC2).

ISC2 says it does not yet have salary data for its entry-level Certified in Cybersecurity (CC). The regional pages also show how much location moves the number. CISSP holders report a median of $106,200 in Europe and $70,000 in Asia-Pacific, against $150,000 in North America. For CCSP the figures are $118,000 in Europe and $84,000 in Asia-Pacific (CISSP salary, CCSP salary, SSCP salary).

Highest-paying ISACA certifications, ranked by average salary

ISACA prints an average annual salary next to five of its certifications on its certifications page. ISACA does not say on that page which survey or year the figures come from, so treat them as ISACA’s headline numbers.

Experience rules come from ISACA’s how-to-get-certified pages for CRISC, CDPSE, CISA, CISM and CGEIT. For all five, you can sit the exam before you have the experience, but you must apply within five years of passing, and the experience must fall within the 10 years before you apply.

Why the two tables are not one list

It would be easy to merge these into a single top 10. We did not, because the numbers measure different things:

• Median vs. average. ISC2 reports medians, the midpoint of responses. ISACA reports averages, which a few very high salaries can pull up.
• Who answered. ISC2’s figures are self-reported by participants in one named survey. ISACA does not name the survey behind its figures.
• Where. ISC2’s ranking uses global medians. A CISSP in North America reports far more than the $127,000 global figure, so a U.S. reader should look at the North America column first.

Both bodies also warn against reading the figures as a promise. ISC2 says many people hold more than one credential and that its numbers “should not be considered a guaranteed or estimated salary” for anyone earning the certification (ISC2).

We left CEH and GCIH, which were on the 2023 list, out of both tables because we could not find holder salary figures published by EC-Council or GIAC. Our CEH guide and incident response certifications guide cover what those exams test.

What government pay data says

The government does not track pay by certification. It tracks pay by job, and the certifications above lead to a few of them. BLS figures for May 2025:

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook pages for information security analysts and computer and information systems managers, both last modified August 27, 2026. The network architect median is from the similar occupations table on the same pages. BLS says certification “may be particularly relevant” for managers who oversee IT security, and that many employers prefer information security analysts who hold one.

The gap between the analyst median and the manager median, $45,960, is about as wide as the whole ISC2 table, from SSCP to ISSAP. That is the best argument for choosing a certification by the job you want next. Our highest-paying cybersecurity jobs guide goes through pay by role.

The certifications behind the numbers

CISSP and its concentrations (ISSAP, ISSEP, ISSMP)

CISSP is ISC2’s senior generalist certification. ISC2 requires five years of cumulative full-time experience in at least two of the eight CISSP domains. A relevant degree, or a credential on ISC2’s approved list such as Security+, CySA+ or CISM, can cover one of those years. If you pass without the experience, you become an Associate of ISC2 and have six years to earn it (ISC2). The three concentrations, which hold the top ISC2 medians, each ask for CISSP plus two years of experience in the specialty, or seven years cumulative. ISSAP is for security architects, ISSEP for systems security engineers and was developed with the NSA, and ISSMP for security leaders such as CISOs (ISSAP, ISSEP, ISSMP). Start with our CISSP exam guide.

CISM

CISM is ISACA’s security management certification. It needs five years of information security management experience within the CISM job practice areas (ISACA). ISACA notes on the CISM page that the CISM exam content outline changes on November 3, 2026. The same page says 42% of holders received a pay boost. See our CISM guide and CISSP vs CISM if you are choosing between the two.

CRISC, CISA and CGEIT

These are the ISACA risk, audit and governance certifications. CRISC has the lowest experience bar of the three (three years) and the highest average ISACA lists. CISA has the most holders of any ISACA certification on the page, at 151,000+. Our CISA guide explains how ISACA writes audit questions.

CCSP

CCSP is ISC2’s cloud security certification. An active CISSP covers the entire CCSP experience requirement, and CSA’s CCSK can stand in for one year (ISC2). See our CCSP guide and CISSP vs CCSP.

CGRC, CSSLP and CDPSE

These three sit closer to compliance, software and privacy work. CGRC, which ISC2 aims at GRC analysts, auditors and compliance officers, needs two years (ISC2 CGRC). CSSLP needs four years and targets software architects, developers and application security specialists (ISC2 CSSLP). CDPSE is ISACA’s privacy engineering certification.

SSCP

SSCP is the lowest bar on the ISC2 list: one year of full-time experience in one or more SSCP domains, and a qualifying degree can cover that year (ISC2). It also has the lowest median in the ISC2 table.

Which high-paying certification fits your experience

• Under two years in security: none of the top-paying certifications are open to you yet as a full credential. Start with Security+ or SSCP, and see our certifications with no experience guide.
• Two to four years, compliance or risk work: CGRC or CRISC.
• Five years, technical security work: CISSP, then CCSP if your work is in the cloud.
• Five years with management duties: CISM or CISSP, then ISSMP later.
• Audit or governance: CISA, then CGEIT.
• Already a CISSP: the concentration that matches your job, ISSAP for architects and ISSEP for engineers.

Our cybersecurity certification path lays these out by job goal, and the best cybersecurity certifications for 2026 list covers certifications without published salary data.

Who pays for these certifications

An employer training budget is the usual first ask. Before you pay yourself, check whether the job you hold, or the one you want, lists the certification, and take that posting to your manager. In ISC2’s 2025 study, allocating budget for professional development was the employer action participants valued most, cited by 35%.

• ISC2: exam-only purchases, training bundles and “Peace of Mind Protection” (two attempts) are listed on each certification page, such as CISSP and ISSAP.
• ISACA: exam registration and member and non-member fees are on each certification page, starting from ISACA’s certifications list. ISACA members pay less for exams.
• Comparing totals: our certification cost calculator adds up exam, training and renewal costs.

Highest-paying certification questions

Sources

• ISC2, How ISC2 Certification Supports Cybersecurity Career Growth and Earning Potential (July 8, 2026): isc2.org
• ISC2, 2025 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study: isc2.org
• ISC2, CISSP salary: isc2.org
• ISC2, CCSP salary: isc2.org
• ISC2, SSCP salary: isc2.org
• ISC2, ISSAP salary: isc2.org
• ISC2, CISSP experience requirements: isc2.org
• ISC2, CCSP experience requirements: isc2.org
• ISC2, SSCP experience requirements: isc2.org
• ISC2, ISSAP, ISSEP, ISSMP, CGRC and CSSLP certification pages: isc2.org
• ISACA, Information Technology Certification Programs: isaca.org
• ISACA, How to get CISM, CISA, CRISC, CDPSE and CGEIT certified: isaca.org
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Information Security Analysts: bls.gov
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Computer and Information Systems Managers: bls.gov

Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, SecurityX, ITILv3

Donald Korinchak is a Cybersecurity Professional in the Washington DC area. Donald holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business. Donald is considered a thought leader in business, leadership, and cybersecurity issues.