What is the salary for an ethical hacker? That’s a very common question. It turns out, there are many aspects that influence a salary for an ethical hacker. Which is exactly why I’ve created this guide to help you understand what role and responsibilities determine a good salary for ethical hackers in 2018.
An ethical hacker is a person who specializes in identifying security flaws, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities in computer systems. And they get paid for it!
The average annual salary for an ethical hacker is around $80,000, but it can vary depending on the region and employer.
Salary for ethical hacker
A person working as an Ethical Hacker in Nigeria typically earns around 280,000 NGN per month. Salaries range from 134,000 NGN (lowest) to 440,000 NGN (highest).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Ethical Hacker salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Ethical Hacker Salary Distribution in Nigeria
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
- Salary RangeEthical Hacker salaries in Nigeria range from 134,000 NGN per month (minimum salary) to 440,000 NGN per month (maximum salary).
- Median SalaryThe median salary is 291,000 NGN per month, which means that half (50%) of people working as Ethical Hacker(s) are earning less than 291,000 NGN while the other half are earning more than 291,000 NGN. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
- PercentilesClosely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Ethical Hacker(s) are earning less than 192,000 NGN while 75% of them are earning more than 192,000 NGN. Also from the diagram, 75% of Ethical Hacker(s) are earning less than 380,000 NGN while 25% are earning more than 380,000 NGN.
Ethical Hacker Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Ethical Hacker salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
An Ethical Hacker with less than two years of experience makes approximately 157,000 NGN per month.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 223,000 NGN per month, 42% more than someone with less than two year’s experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 293,000 NGN per month, 31% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Ethical Hacker(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 360,000 NGN per month, 23% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 383,000 NGN per month, 6% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 420,000 NGN per month, 10% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Ethical Hacker average salary change by experience in Nigeria
| 0 – 2 Years | 157,000 NGN | |
| 2 – 5 Years | +42% | 223,000 NGN |
| 5 – 10 Years | +31% | 293,000 NGN |
| 10 – 15 Years | +23% | 360,000 NGN |
| 15 – 20 Years | +6% | 383,000 NGN |
| 20+ Years | +10% | 420,000 NGN |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Ethical Hacker Salary Comparison By Education
How do education levels affect salaries?
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Ethical Hacker salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Certificate or Diploma, the average salary of an Ethical Hacker is 195,000 NGN per month.
While someone with a Bachelor’s Degree gets a salary of 311,000 NGN per month, 59% more than someone having a Certificate or Diploma degree.
A Master’s Degree gets its holder an average salary of 415,000 NGN per month, 33% more than someone with a Bachelor’s Degree.
Ethical Hacker average salary difference by education level in Nigeria
| Certificate or Diploma | 195,000 NGN | |
| Bachelor’s Degree | +59% | 311,000 NGN |
| Master’s Degree | +33% | 415,000 NGN |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
