Ready to unlock what's possible as an experienced tech professional in a senior level digital security role? The right training and certification can help get you there.
CompTIA’s Advanced Security Practitioner Certification (CASP+) is now the new CompTIA SecurityX, the latest addition to CompTIA’s Xpert series. SecurityX is the capstone certification in CompTIA cybersecurity pathway, and it's designed for experts in the field, like you, who are ready to advance in their career.
You've worked hard to get to this point in your tech career. Now is the time to bolster your reputation, land the senior cyber security role you've been eyeing, and unlock your potential in this rapidly evolving field.
Prepare for your future with CompTIA SecurityX
SecurityX can help you take the next step through its expertly crafted curriculum. While the certification is designed for security architects and senior security engineers who are charged with leading and improving an enterprise’s cybersecurity readiness, if you are ready to step into a more advanced cybersecurity role, SecurityX will help prepare you.
We're taking a look at cybersecurity roles that map out to the training and certification provided by SecurityX. These are roles that will be critical in sectors across all industries.
Employers are looking for skilled professionals who are specialized in aspects of cybersecurity including understanding how to look at an overall architecture and determine where security needs exist or where operations should be tightened up.
With training and certification through CompTIA’s SecurityX, you'll bring to the table these highly coveted skills that can be adapted for a variety of roles in today's job market.
SecurityX Job roles
Designed for advanced level cybersecurity professionals, CompTIA SecurityX also maps out to a variety of other roles in digital security.
To prepare for job roles that align with the SecurityX training and certification, you'll need to first have a solid understanding of security principles and overall tech foundations.
You can build your knowledge of IT infrastructure through entry level certifications including Tech+ and A+. With these certifications under your belt, you’ll have the skill set needed for entry-level tech roles like help desk.
Once you have a good understanding of the basics, you can improve your skill set through specialized certifications like Network+ and Security+. All the while, you'll want to continue advancing through your tech career by moving into more intermediate level roles like Network Administrator. When you’re ready to level up to a more senior role, SecurityX can help validate your skills.
Let's take a closer look at what these job roles are, what job duties you can expect from your day-to-day workflow, and their overall projected job growth and median annual earnings.
Security Architect
Security Architects play an important role in helping keep networks secure. Beyond just using threat mitigation tools and assessing networks for vulnerabilities and other threats, Security Architects take a hands-on approach in developing networks and the security protocols used to keep networks, data, and users safe.
A typical day for a Security Architect may involve collaborating with business leaders, developers, engineers, and other stakeholders. They'll provide guidance and leadership on cybersecurity policy, research and design security features for IT projects, apply cryptography to secure data, and stay up to date on the latest cyber security threats and best practices.
The annual median average salary for Security Architects is $144,835, according to recent data from Indeed. Demand for this role has been waning in recent years, but that doesn't come as a surprise because this is a highly specialized role with fewer openings as compared to other cybersecurity roles.
Cybersecurity Engineer
Cybersecurity Engineers work closely with Security Architects. While these two roles overlap yet, the job roles are different. While Security Architects might see the vision of how a secure system should look like in an enterprise, Cybersecurity Engineers actually implement this vision, figuring out how to put it into practice.
Some of the everyday job duties of a Cybersecurity Engineer may include creating new solutions to solve existing security issues. This is often because of the rapidly evolving methods of cyberattacks and types of threat vectors.
These security engineers might also supervise changes in hardware, software, and facilitate how end users might engage with technology.
They'll also provide modifications in legal, regulatory, and technical areas that are affected by changing security needs.
The Demand for Cybersecurity Engineer is high and professionals in this field earn an annual median income of $143,992 according to CyberSeek.org.
Cybersecurity Engineers are in high demand as enterprises and organizations continue valuing and putting resources towards their security approach and defenses.
SOC Manager
A Security Operations Center Manager, also known as a SOC Manager is a highly skilled professional who leads a security operational team. They will generally report to the Chief Information Security Officer within an organization.
Taking on a more managerial role, SOC Managers might be involved in overseeing the hiring, training, and evaluation practices of security operations center staff members.
They'll also be heavily engaged in creating processes, assessing incident reports, and creating and implementing crisis communication plans. Additionally, they’ll help support audits, create compliance reports, and other administrative and regulatory tasks that relate to an organization's security.
If you're someone who enjoys cybersecurity, but not so much from a technical standpoint, a SOC Manager role might be an interesting position for you to explore.
Demand for SOC Managers is expected to remain high. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there's a projected increase of 33% for SOC Manager positions, with 47,100 net new jobs expected during that 10-year period.
Cyber Risk Analyst
If you enjoy the hunt and have an overall enthusiasm or interest in detecting threats and stifling attackers before they strike, then a Cyber Risk Analyst role might be for you.
This cyber security role is a very hands-on position, and you'll work with a variety of tools, technologies, and methodologies that pertain to active digital security management.
No day is the same in the life of a Cyber Risk Analyst, and your job duties might include everything from researching the threat landscape and identifying current trends to training employees on organizational security best practices.
You might also be tasked with repairing or upgrading security systems as needed and of course monitoring user access to determine if a breach has occurred.
The rapidly evolving threat of cyber attacks has resulted in a demand for these skilled professionals. The median annual salary for Cyber Risk Analysts is 120,360 according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Chief Information Security Officer
If you're someone who loves all things cyber security, becoming a Chief Information Security Officer, also known as a CISO, be a good fit for you. These top level, executive positions require candidates to be extremely skilled and well versed in the world of cybersecurity.
To be a good fit for this role, you'll have had a history of cybersecurity related roles ranging from Security Administrator to Cyber Risk Analyst. The culmination of your diver skill set will help you thrive in this role.
As a senior level position, Chief Information Security Officers are typically well compensated. The median annual wage was $206,680 for chief executives roles according the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Advance in your career with CompTIA SecurityX
You’ve taken the right steps, investing your time and energy into becoming a skilled cybersecurity professional. Now’s the time to validate your expertise with the most advanced cybersecurity certification on the market, CompTIA SecurityX.
Learn more about how this SecurityX can help you unlock your potential. Stand out from the rest and bring highly sought after technical skills that will help enterprises and organizations reach new heights in their security goals.
Plan your path forward and start exploring your next job in cyber today
