Ethical Hacker Salary in 2025 [Freshers and Experienced]

We read and hear about cyber-attacks and hacking threats all the time. However, ethical hackers are the one-stop solution to various cyber threats. Research claims that a malware-based cyber-attack can cost a business 2.6 million dollars. Thus, the ethical hacker’s salary increased significantly over a few years.

An ethical hacker must have the computer system's owner's written consent before accessing it, safeguard the organization's privacy, disclose all vulnerabilities found in the computer system to the organization openly, and alert hardware and software vendors to the vulnerabilities. Unlike traditional hackers, who violate cybersecurity systems to obtain data to demand money, ethical hackers study data security systems to strengthen themselves.

The goal of ethical hacking is to find vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks and create defenses against them. Ethical hackers examine networks and systems to find vulnerabilities that they can exploit or destroy. Students who want to learn ethical hacking must enroll in accredited Ethical Hacking courses.

Ethical Hacker Salary in 2025

Although ethical hackers have played a part in the industry for some time, demand for them is currently at an all-time high. This is because, during the previous ten years, the number of cyberattacks has significantly increased. This is a distinctive field that is also very rewarding.

The usual salary of an ethical hacker will depend on your expertise in cybersecurity, computer programming, computer networks, and other fields. You can see a rapid rise in your ethical hacker pay by displaying your skills and qualifications. You should start with Cyber Security training courses or offline to have the background and the know-how to approach problem-solving.

To comprehend why this is the ideal time to pursue an ethical hacking job, we'll talk about the typical certified ethical hacker income in India today.

What is the Average Salary of an Ethical Hacker in 2025?

The certified ethical hacker salary in the US varies widely because it is based on a wide range of variables, including your work history, the reputation of your employer, your abilities, your location, the compensation structure of your employer, etc. 

The average salary for a certified ethical hacker can be understood as follows

Ethical hacker salary per hour	60$ USD
Ethical hacker salary per month	6,040 USD – 10,872 USD
Annual ethical hacker average salary	48,321 USD – 54,361 USD

Ethical Hacker Salary: Based on Job Role

Experience is one of the essential variables in establishing your earning potential. Every year ethical hackers work for a company; their income may increase. For new hires, the starting or entry-level Certified Ethical Hacker pay in the US is 4,228 USD. When broken down, the typical pay for an ethical hacker in the US ranges from 356 USD to 501 USD per month. According to your expertise, talents, and other circumstances, your pay in this sector could reach 48,321 USD per year.

The following table shows the average salary of ethical hackers based on their job role:

Job role	Average Salary per year
IT Security & Infrastructure	8,259.1 USD
Security Testing & Auditing	7,482 USD
Cyber Security	8,678.6 USD
Security Policies & Procedures	121,05.4 USD
Security Risk Management	10,194.3 USD
Network Security Management	7,208 USD
Penetration Testing	6,605.7 USD
Cyber Security Analyst	$85,000 / year
Information Security Analyst	$78000 / year
Cyber Security Engineer	$105,000 / year
Security Intrusion Detection	$83,500
Computer Security	$86,310
Security Information and Event Management	$83,117
Cisco Networking	$81,211

Ethical Hacker Salary: Based on Employer/Company

Companies with strong programming backgrounds that hire ethical hackers include Google, Facebook, Apple, TCS, and so on. These different companies provide various hacking jobs salaries in the US.

Here are some of the businesses that pay ethical hackers the highest salaries:

Company	Average Salary
HCL	6692 USD
Google	6462.04 USD
Facebook	294071.71 USD
Apple	241608.60 USD
TCS	6245.58 USD
Infosys	11000.80 USD

Ethical Hacker Salary: Based on Skill-set

You'll be able to get a greater salary as an ethical hacker according to your knowledge of the industry and your technological prowess. The skills that ethical hackers are proficient in determining how much money they make. In penetration and vulnerability testing, a bachelor's degree is required in 67% of job postings, while a master's degree or higher is needed in 23% of those.

Although it depends on the business and your situation, obtaining a doctorate may open up more lucrative positions for ethical hackers. The highest-paid ethical hackers are certified and equipped with industry-level knowledge.

Look into which skills are in demand in this industry and which pay the most attention. The most in-demand skills among ethical hackers include Linux, network security management, cybersecurity, and IT security & infrastructure.

Ethical Hacker Salary: Based on Certifications

A profession as an ethical hacker may lead to employment as a consultant or employee. It necessitates the capacity to deliberately access a computer with the owner's consent and uses most cyberattack methods. Ethical hacker earnings depend on expertise. The four reputable cybersecurity qualifications given below are very useful for professions in penetration testing, ethical hacking, and other offensive cybersecurity fields.

Certification	Average pay per annum
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)	9060322.50 USD
GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)	9664344.00 USD
Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)	8456301 USD
CompTIA PenTest+	9422735.4 USD

Ethical Hacker Salary: Based on Location

Location	Popular Cities	Pay Structure
India	Bangalore, Karnataka	Rs 256,635 - Rs 1,133,880
	Mumbai, Maharashtra	Rs 218,305 - Rs 1,072,867
	Chennai, Tamil Nadu	Rs 241,957 - Rs 913,540
	Pune, Maharashtra	Rs 254,028 - Rs 1,043,389
	Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi	Rs 236,718 - Rs 982,635
USA	Washington, District of Columbia	$67,000 - $126,121
	New York, New York	$50,143 - $124,608
	San Antonio, Texas	$51,456 - $90,999
	Atlanta, Georgia	$49,550 - $110,936
	San Diego, California	$76,754 - $121,694
Canada	Toronto, Ontario	C$50,147 - C$97,732
	Montréal, Québec	C$51,500 - C$88,00
	Moncton, New Brunswick	C$108,000
	Ottawa, Ontario	C$70,000
	Vancouver, British Columbia	C$84,000
Australia	Sydney, New South Wales	AU$55,284 - AU$133,346
	Melbourne, Victoria	AU$53,327 - AU$145,216
UAE	Dubai	AED 60,678 - AED 301,674
	Abu Dhabi	AED 52,586 - AED 305,209
Singapore	Singapore	S$26,093 - S$84,404
Philippines	Philippines	18,200 PHP - 63,000 PHP
UK	London	£30,000-£40,000
	Manchester	£45,000- £50,000

Salary Ranges for Certified Ethical Hackers: Based on Country

1. Ethical Hacker Salary in Canada

The average salary of ethical hackers in Canada is C$73K.

a. Average Salary by Job Role/ Skill

Skill/ Job Role	Average Salary
Cyber Security	C$73,688
IT Security & Infrastructure	C$74,239
Security Risk Management	C$85,964
Security Testing and Auditing	C$72,607
Security Intrusion Detection	C$68,784
Security Policies and Procedures	C$71,967
Risk Management/ Risk Control	C$85,000
Network Security Management	C$72,414
Security Information and Event Management	C$57,391
Internal Audit	C$105,399

b. Average Salary by Companies

Companies	Average Salary
RBC Bank	C$69,490
Pricewaterhouse Coopers	C$67,000
Rogers Communication Inc.	C$70,829

c. Average Salary based on Cities

Cities	Average Salary
Montreal Quebec	C$51,500 - C$88,000
Toronto, Ontario	C$50,147 - C$97,732
Ottawa, Ontario	C$70,000
Moncton, New Brunswick	C$108,000
Vancouver, British Columbia	C$84,000

d. Average Salary by Experience

Experience	Average Salary
Less than 1 year	7%
1 to 4 years	36%
5 to 9 years	21%
10 to 19 years	27%
20 years or more	9%

2. Ethical Hacker Salary in Australia

The average salary of ethical hackers in Australia is AU$101K.

a. Average Salary by Job Role/ Skill

Skill/ Job Role	Average Salary
Cyber Security	AU$103,092
IT Security & Infrastructure	AU$108,083
Security Risk Management	AU$120,000
Security Testing and Auditing	AU$102,409
Security Intrusion Detection	AU$99,916
Security Policies and Procedures	AU$109,803
Computer Security	AU$98,920
Network Management	AU$82,500
Security Information and Event Management	AU$100,000
Penetration Testing	AU$101,500

b. Average Salary by Companies

Companies	Average Salary
EY	AU$125,000
Deloitte	AU$143,364
The Chemist Warehouse	AU$55,000

c. Average Salary based on Cities.

Cities	Average Salary
Melbourne, Victoria	AU$53,327 - AU$145,216
Sydney, North South Wales	AU$55,284 - AU$133,346

d. Average Salary by Experience

Experience	Average Salary
Less than 1 year	2%
1 to 4 years	36%
5 to 9 years	30%
10 to 19 years	27%
20 years or more	4%

3. Ethical Hacker Salary in Singapore

The average salary of ethical hackers in Singapore is S$67K.

a. Average Salary by Job Role/ Skill

Skill/ Job Role	Average Salary
Cyber Security	S$77,596
IT Security & Infrastructure	S$74,747
Security Risk Management	S$73,815
Security Testing and Auditing	S$63,600
Security Intrusion Detection	S$93,500
Security Policies and Procedures	S$111,964
Computer Security	S$77,596
Network Security Management	S$40,800
Security Information and Event Management	S$76,126
Penetration Testing	S$76,000

b. Average Salary by Companies

Companies	Average Salary
Lazada Group	S$112,656
E-cop	S$57,718

c. Average Salary based on Cities.

Cities	Average Salary
Singapore	S$26,093 - S$84,404

d. Average Salary by Experience

Experience	Average Salary
Less than 1 year	6%
1 to 4 years	30%
5 to 9 years	29%
10 to 19 years	26%

4. Ethical Hacker Salary in UAE

The average salary of ethical hackers in UAE is AED 177K.

a. Average Salary by Job Role/ Skill

Skill/ Job Role	Average Salary
Cyber Security	AED 151,385
IT Security & Infrastructure	AED 200,597
Security Risk Management	AED 179,138
Security Testing and Auditing	AED 212,249
Security Intrusion Detection	AED 276,000
Security Policies and Procedures	AED 216,000
Computer Security	AED 144,000
Network Security Management	AED 102,000
Security Information and Event Management	AED 120,000
Pre-Sales	AED 212,958

b. Average Salary by Companies

Companies	Average Salary
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank	AED 450,000
Paladion Networks	AED 166,268
Tata Consultancy Services Limited	AED 115,800

c. Average Salary Based on Cities

Cities	Average Salary
Abu Dhabi	AED 52,586 - AED 305,209
Dubai	AED 60,678 - AED 301,674

d. Average Salary by Experience

Experience	Average Salary
Less than 1 year	4%
1 to 4 years	34%
5 to 9 years	34%
10 to 19 years	26%
20 years or more	1%

5. Ethical Hacker Salary in India

a. According to the study conducted by CISO:

• The average annual salary of ethical hackers is Rs 570,000 per year.
• The highest number of security professionals are in Bengaluru with 20.5 percent.
• The second number of security professionals are from National Capital Region with 20.3 percent.
• Telecom service providers pay the highest salaries for cybersecurity professionals with an average annual salary of Rs 11.75 lakh.
• The second highest-paying sector is banking and financial services with an average of Rs 10.52 lakh.
• NCR and Bangalore are two cities that offer the highest average salaries for ethical hackers.

b. Salary as per Experience

Just like any other profession, the number of years that one has spent in pursuing the profession of ethical hacking is directly proportional to your salary range. As one progresses in their career, they are bound to earn more depending on the job-related experience.

A certified ethical hacker's salary on average is around INR 3.5 lacs per month. Breaking it down it comes to around INR 29k per month.

c. Salary as per Location

An Ethical Hacker's salary per month is dependent also on the region that you are working in. Just like with other professions, when the cost of living is higher in an area, the salaries are usually higher to match this.

Here’s a look at the approximate salaries in different Indian cities:

City	Salary (p.a.)
Bangalore	454, 063
Hyderabad	7,50,000
Chennai	5,50,000
Delhi	6,00,000
Pune	3,97, 317
Mumbai	3,95,479

d. Salary as per Job Title

Chief Information Security Officers' salary ranges from Rs. 12 lakh to Rs. 80 lakh per year, with a median salary of Rs 23.7 lakh.

Having a specialization has a great impact on ethical hackers’ average salary. For instance, specializations like networking, forensics, or security will help you draw a higher salary.

This is where things like Certified Cloud Security Professionals come in and help you command better salary packages.

e. Salary as per Company 

The company that you are working with also determines the ethical hacker salary per hour or month. The larger the company, the higher will be your pay package.

Companies such as Tata Consultancy Services and HCL Technologies offer the maximum salaries at around INR 5.17 lacs per annum and INR 5.44 lacs per annum respectively.

Factors Affecting Ethical Hacker’s Salary

There are a number of factors that will affect the ethical hacker's average salary. Some of the prominent factors are listed below.

1. Experience: One of the most important factors affecting the salary of ethical hackers is experience. The higher the experience, the more the salary will be.
2. Education: Education is another important factor. For ethical hackers, at least a bachelor’s degree is required. However, with the increase in the education level, the salary package of ethical hackers also increases.
3. Location: The location also has a significant impact on the ethical hacker salary per month. If the location you work in has a high demand for ethical hackers, the salary is likely to be high. However, in places where there is less demand for ethical hackers, the salary will be less.
4. Skills and Certifications: Higher is the skills of an individual, the more the pay package. Similarly, with better certifications, the salary of ethical hackers increases.

How Much Tax Will You Have to Pay as a Certified Ethical Hacker?

The following tax slabs are applicable to ethical hackers' starting salaries:

Net income (in INR)	Income tax rate
Up to 2.5 lacs	NIL
2.5-5 lacs	5% of total income - INR 2.5 lacs
5-10 lacs	INR 25,999 +20% of total income-INR 5 lacs
Above 10 lacs	INR 1,12,500 + 30% of total income - INR 10 lacs

Why are Ethical Hackers Paid So Much?

The most obvious advantage of cyber security is the protection of data. By protecting data, businesses can protect customers' personal information from theft, destruction, and illegal access. Preventing rivals from accessing critical information can help businesses stay competitive.

Additionally, it can help safeguard consumer data that could be used to steal identities or commit other crimes. A second important advantage of cyber security is the protection of systems.

By safeguarding them against malware, hackers, and other threats, businesses can maintain the efficiency of their networks and avoid expensive disruptions. As a result, ethical hackers are paid more.

Who is an Ethical Hacker?

Hackers who have undergone training to protect systems and networks of computers from destructive or unethical attacks are known as ethical hackers. They use their skills to spot security flaws and stop dishonest hackers from breaking into corporate systems and gaining access to confidential and sensitive data.

They safeguard the information against misuse and the weak points in the system. To secure the highest level of information security, they have access to everyone's computer system as members of the network security staff in any firm. An ethical hacker is a Cyber Security Specialist in the formal security sector. Let’s explore ethical hacker salary from fresher/entry level to experience in detail. While we are learning about who is an ethical hacker, you need to know about different kinds of hackers and their motives. Hackers fall into these categories:

• White hat hackers 
• Black hat hackers 
• Grey hat hackers

Roles and Responsibilities of an Ethical Hacker

It involves a broad range of duties, all aimed at making the information systems of the company more robust and impenetrable. These responsibilities include:

• Finding open ports
• Evade firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and intrusion prevention systems to ensure that they are effective. This also includes reinforcements of these systems.
• Searching digital trash bins and finding passwords and other sensitive information that could be utilized to attack the organization.
• Find out the existence of cracked wireless certification including hijacked web applications and servers.
• Ensuring that the organization’s patch installations are up to date.
• Extending help to the organization regarding digital information thefts and online employment frauds.

Here are some of the most common methods employed by ethical hackers to evaluate and strengthen a company’s security system:

• Social engineering tactics: These tactics include imitating fraud to entice a user into divulging specific sensitive information or performing detrimental actions.
• Security scanners: These scanners are basically tools that are used to find vulnerabilities in the systems and address them.
• Denial of service attacks: Also known as DoS, this includes overflooding a system with requests so that it is unable to handle any additional requests.

What is the CEH Certification?

To become a successful ethical hacker, you need to hone your hacking abilities and techniques. This is done by undergoing cyber security training online, particularly getting the CEH certification.

CEH stands for Certified Ethical Hacker and is amongst the best-known CEH V12 training available. This is a certification that’s offered by the EC Council (The International Council of E-Commerce Consultants).

This course is primarily designed to equip the holder of this certification with the skills to look for weaknesses and vulnerabilities in information systems. This course also offers in-depth knowledge of hacking tools and methods to safeguard a company’s security systems. In fact, this was the first certification course that gave an opportunity for prospective ethical hackers to break into computer systems and safeguard them.

Apart from offering good expertise in the subject, though this is an entry-level certification, this course also offers a good amount of acquaintance often missed by other security courses.

Once you obtain this certification, you can work in roles such as:

• Security analyst
• Security engineer
• Penetration tester
• Malware analyst
• Security consultant

Here are the eligibility criteria required for CEH certification:

• Attend official training: If you have completed an official training course, you are directly eligible to apply for the CEH certification.
• Without official training: In case you haven’t attended training, your candidature must be approved via the application process of CEH. You must have at least two years of experience in the domain of information security.

Another important trademark course is the CISA course. CISA stands for Certified Information Systems Auditor that allows IT audit professionals to gain competence in the fields of control, security, and audit.

For the CISA Exam Preparation, these things may help:

• Set a study schedule and stick to it.
• For the CISA exam preparation, a great way is to study whitepapers, webinars, virtual papers, virtual summits, books, etc.
• Get CISM Coaching from experienced people.
• Practice self-assessment and read review manuals.
• Always do extra research.
• Go beyond theoretical knowledge and understand the practical aspects of securing the systems.

Future of Being an Ethical Hacker

The demand for ethical hackers is expected to rise along with the number of cyber threats and the necessity for cybersecurity. The future of ethical hacking is limitless. This industry is rapidly increasing across various sectors, including the government, business operations, healthcare, entertainment, and banking.

Companies are willing to pay more than average to fill expanding job positions in their cyber security divisions, but they have difficulty locating competent people. It implies that if you receive training to become an ethical hacker, you won't ever have to worry about finding work or money.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by 2025, there will be 35 million vacant positions in the information security sector.

As a result, more businesses will continue to hire IT professionals to protect their data better, which will keep ethical hackers in demand. For people who desire to become ethical hackers, there is frequently plenty of employment available due to the industry's rapid expansion.

There are several other reasons as to why ethical hackers are in demand:

1. Widespread adoption of cloud computing has introduced security risks such as ransomware, identity theft, malware infections and data breaches.
2. Cyber threats are growing increasingly sophisticated, which means that organizations must keep themselves safe by increasing the budget for cybersecurity. This has raised the demand for reputed cyber specialists and ethical hackers.
3. With the rampant increase in the numbers of internet users, the web has become a prime target for the malicious activities of black hat hackers.

This chart indicates the increase in the number of internet users across the world.

WORLD INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICS 2024 Estimates
World Regions	Population (2020 Est.)	Population % of World	Internet Users 30 June 2020	Penetration Rate (% Pop.)	Growth 2000-2024	Internet World %
Africa	1,340,598,447	17.2 %	566,138,772	42.2 %	12,441 %	11.7 %
Asia	4,294,516,659	55.1 %	2,525,033,874	58.8 %	2,109 %	52.2 %
Europe	834,995,197	10.7 %	727,848,547	87.2 %	592 %	15.1 %
Latin America / Caribbean	654,287,232	8.4 %	467,817,332	71.5 %	2,489 %	9.7 %
Middle East	260,991,690	3.3 %	184,856,813	70.8 %	5,527 %	3.8 %
North America	368,869,647	4.7 %	332,908,868	90.3 %	208 %	6.9 %
Oceania / Australia	42,690,838	0.5 %	28,917,600	67.7 %	279 %	0.6 %
WORLD TOTAL	7,796,949,710	100.0 %	4,833,521,806	62.0 %	1,239 %	100.0 %

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Wrapping Up

The mentioned ethical hacker salary statistics indicate that ethical hackers are well-paid and in high demand across the globe. To help their networks develop, a lot of companies and organizations are looking to hire ethical hackers.

To develop your ethical hacking abilities and launch a career in this exciting industry, enroll in KnowledgeHut’s Ethical Hacking course right away. Security testing, cryptography, data confidentiality, and network security are available as specializations in this course.