Introduction to CISO Salaries
Companies paid chief information security officers (CISOs) a median of virtually 7% more in 2025 than they did in 2024, in response to a recent report from IANS Research and Artico Search. This increase in salary is important, especially when put next to the general spending on security, which only saw a 4% increase.
The Importance of Cybersecurity
The research, based on interviews conducted between April and October with greater than 560 CISOs within the U.S. and Canada, suggests that executive compensation has weathered the economic headwinds which have otherwise constrained security budgets. This indicates that firms recognize the importance of cybersecurity and are willing to take a position of their CISOs.
CISO Compensation and Perks
The IANS/Artico report provides quite a lot of data points that illustrate the market’s view of cybersecurity’s importance as a C-suite issue. For one thing, equity-based pay grew faster than traditional salary pay, a indisputable fact that IANS described as a mirrored image of firms’ recognition of cybersecurity’s “long-term strategic value.” CISOs have firmly established themselves as business leaders, not only security operators. Their pay stability this 12 months reinforces how indispensable cybersecurity leadership has turn into to enterprise risk oversight, even when many organizations are tightening budgets.
Expansion of Perks
In one other sign that firms value cybersecurity executives highly, they’re expanding the range of perks they provide to those employees. More than 70% of CISOs now receive executive perks, including directors and officers (D&O) insurance, which protects their personal assets from lawsuits targeting their skilled decisions. The marketplace for top security talent remains to be competitive, but motivations are shifting. We’re seeing more CISOs prioritize influence, visibility, and culture over pure compensation.
Disparity in CISO Pay
While overall CISO pay increased modestly, there was an unlimited disparity between the highest-earning CISOs and the remainder of the pack. The top 1% of CISOs by pay earn greater than $3.2 million annually, a figure that’s roughly 10 times the median CISO pay and 20 times the underside 10% of CISOs’ earnings. This variability reflects the impact of organization size, industry, and experience, with Fortune 100 CISOs often far exceeding reported averages.
Job Switching and Pay Increases
The report also documented a six-year high within the variety of CISOs switching jobs, with 15% of CISOs saying they modified employers in 2025, up from 11% in 2024. Interestingly, only half of the CISOs who switched jobs received pay increases at their recent firms. Those who stayed and took on expanded responsibilities saw the most important compensation gains, a median increase of 8.1% in comparison with 5% amongst job switchers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the salaries of CISOs have seen a major increase in 2025, despite the economic headwinds which have constrained security budgets. This increase in salary, together with the expansion of perks and the popularity of cybersecurity as a C-suite issue, highlights the importance of cybersecurity in today’s business landscape. As the demand for expert cybersecurity professionals continues to grow, it would be interesting to see how firms adapt to the changing market and prioritize the compensation and development of their CISOs.
