ceh salary

CEH Salary By States, Job Role, and Experience 2024

Are you ready to earn your CEH certification? Let's first check the many job opportunities and promising CEH salary that this certification offers.

Updated at October 25, 2022

Due to the ongoing cybercrime attacks on organizations, the need for ethical hackers is always great. The CEH test covers every aspect of hacking and aids in preparing you for situations you could encounter on the job. By obtaining this certification, you may be able to access more doors and better-paying employment prospects.

Companies in the cybersecurity industry favor applicants with extensive experience, which opens up many opportunities at a high salary for a certified ethical hacker.

In today’s post, let’s take a deep look at CEH Salary and how it varies by location, job title, and experience

ceh salary

What is CEH certification?

The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification from the EC-Council, which is recognized by the Department of Homeland Security, attests to your proficiency in getting beyond security barriers set up by organizations using their databases, networks, apps, and other vital data.

Your security professional skills will be evaluated by the CEH certification test. Your aptitude for spotting security holes that nefarious hackers could exploit is evaluated. \

A CEH certificate will enable you to comprehend and explain the tactics and creativity of a black hat hacker while also demonstrating an in-depth understanding of hacking tools, developing attack paths, penetration testing, and interference solutions.

How much does a CEH make?

The average yearly salary for a CEH in the United States as of October 11, 2022, is $109,468.

If you need a quick salary estimator, that comes out to be about $52.63 per hour. This amounts to $9,122 a month or $2,105 per week.

Despite the fact that ZipRecruiter reports yearly wages as high as $219,500 and as low as $65,500, most CEH salaries now fall between $80,500 (25th percentile) and $132,000 (75th percentile), with top earners (90th percentile) in the United States getting $151,000 annually. 

The wide variation in average salary for a CEH—up to $51,500—indicates that there may be several prospects for development and higher income based on experience, location, and skill level.

Average CEH Salary by States

Depending on the area you work in, there are several ethical hacking jobs available in the United States. Similar to other occupations, when living expenses are greater in a given location, salaries typically rise to reflect this.

The following table covers all CEH salaries in 50 states of the US:

StateAnnual SalaryMonthly PayWeekly PayHourly Wage
Washington12626210521242860.7
New York1185329877227956.99
California1140009500219254.81
Idaho1135859465218454.61
New Hampshire1115339294214453.62
Vermont1090419086209652.42
Massachusetts1072078933206151.54
Maine1068678905205551.38
Hawaii1061678847204151.04
Nevada1056348802203150.79
Tennessee1039068658199849.96
Wyoming1037298644199449.87
Arizona1036198634199249.82
Montana1026358552197349.34
Connecticut1022588521196649.16
New Jersey1015158459195248.81
Rhode Island1011948432194648.65
Alaska1010068417194248.56
Minnesota1007908399193848.46
Indiana1006568388193548.39
Texas1005418378193348.34
Oregon1004558371193148.3
Maryland987858232189947.49
North Dakota987218226189847.46
Pennsylvania974498120187446.85
Virginia965058042185546.4
West Virginia956487970183945.98
Wisconsin955557962183745.94
Ohio949667913182645.66
Nebraska942577854181245.32
South Dakota939227826180645.16
Delaware935277793179844.97
Colorado933467778179544.88
Iowa931287760179044.77
South Carolina917277643176344.1
Utah915197626175944
Alabama913197609175643.9
New Mexico909137576174843.71
Arkansas897687480172643.16
Oklahoma890567421171242.82
Kansas889307410171042.75
Florida888557404170842.72
Mississippi877647313168742.19
Kentucky874857290168242.06
Michigan873667280168042
Missouri856667138164741.19
Illinois850187084163440.87
Georgia821756847158039.51
Louisiana806696722155138.78
North Carolina768806406147836.96

Average CEH Salary by Job Title

Being an ethical hacker can entail a variety of duties that are frequently subsumed under many job titles. Your work title may affect your compensation in addition to the aforementioned variables.

A few samples of the various pay ranges for Certified Ethical Hackers are shown below:

  • Network Security Analyst: $41,362 – $106,823
  • Cyber Security Analyst: $48,086 – $118,991
  • Forensics Computer Analyst: $42,684 – $118,616
  • Information Security Analyst: $48,522 – $107,004
  • Penetration Tester: $50,845 – $127,714
  • Information Security Manager: $73,241 – $153,163
  • Security Engineer: $56,017 – $132,536

The qualifications and duties for each of these roles vary, thus your pay might range significantly based on your particular position.

Average CEH Salary by Experience

For non-certified experts that work as ethical hackers, the overall pay is

  • Less than 1 year of experience: $68,912
  • 1-4 years of experience: $80,901
  • 5-9 years of experience: $90,000
  • 10-19 years of experience: $111,910

The total pay for CEHs demonstrates the impact certification has during the early years of a career:

  • Less than 1 year of experience: $79,949
  • 1-4 years of experience: $82,937
  • 5-9 years of experience: $86,476
  • 10-19 years of experience: $95,000

ceh salary

Average ethical hacker’s salary before and after getting certified

You can use credentials like the CEH to increase your chances of securing a high-paying job, thus as a qualified security expert, you will likely make more money than non-certified individuals.

A typical ethical hacker’s income range, according to Salary.com, is between $92,400 and $118,169, with a base salary of $103,583.

PayScale reports that the average base pay of an ethical hacker is $79,618 annually (without bonuses or other benefits), while the average base compensation of a certified ethical hacker is $82,966 annually. A professional with a CEH certification makes an annual base salary of $96,000.

The average pay of a CEH-certified professional is $128,000 in the U.S. and $96,030 globally, which is even better news from the Certification Magazine 2022 Salary Survey.

Of course, salaries vary depending on a number of different factors, such as years of experience (the duration of a person’s career), skills, additional certifications, education (a bachelor’s degree in computer science, IT, or any related field of cybersecurity), industry, occupation, job level, and location. Another aspect that affects salary is gender.

For instance, the salary for a certified ethical hacker varies according to skill:

  • Management skill for network security: $89,300 annually
  • IT infrastructure and security expertise: $85,000 annually
  • Skills for penetration testing$75,076 annually

The Bottom Line

Thanks to a promising CEH salary along with the practical approach, hacking challenges, and coverage of all the newest tools and techniques, CEH is one of the market’s most sought-after ethical hacking certifications.

The certificate is appropriate for a broad range of difficult and fascinating positions that might pay very well.

A great strategy to develop in your profession is to study for a CEH certification if you have a creative mind, an eye for security issues, and the ability to apply cutting-edge tools and methods to stop cyberattacks.

On this website, we offer thousands of free CEH practice tests to help you thoroughly prepare for this exam!