Salary Survey Extra is a series of dispatches that give added insight into the findings of our annual Salary Survey. These posts contain previously unpublished Salary Survey data.

As of Feb. 24 earlier this year, computer networking professionals can no longer earn the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) CyberOps credential (No. 49 on our most recent Salary Survey 75 list). Unlike the other, now-retired CCNA credentials, however, which went down with ship, CCNA CyberOps will go on and on — instead of being tossed out, it was merely relabeled, the name changed to Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate (CCCA).

Here's what the salary picture looks like for CCNA CyberOps holders who responded to the Salary Survey:

All U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $100,290
Median Annual Salary: $83,750
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: 5.9 percent
Very Satisfied: 5.9 percent
Satisfied: 35.9 percent
Not Very Satisfied: 17.6 percent
Not At All Satisfied: 34.7 percent

All Non-U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $54,190
Median Annual Salary: $30,000
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: [No responses]
Very Satisfied: 12.2 percent
Satisfied: 66.7 percent
Not Very Satisfied: 11.1 percent
Not At All Satisfied: 10 percent

The largest single body of CCNA CyberOps holders to participate in the survey is made up of U.S. residents (65.4 percent of those surveyed), but we also heard from credential holders in seven other countries: Canada, Chile, Italy, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom.

Cybersecurity as a profession is largely dominated by men, and that holds true here as well: just 9.4 percent of CCNA CyberOps holders who responded to the survey are women. Almost everyone in the pool of respondents for this credential, whether male or female, is either hitting or has already passed by early middle age, with 34.6 percent of those surveyed between the ages of 35 and 44, 38.5 percent between the ages of 45 and 54, and 7.7 percent between the ages of 55 and 64. The only "young folks" in the equation are the 19.2 percent of respondents between the ages of 25 and 34.

More than 80 percent of CCNA CyberOps holders who responded to the survey have an educational background that includes time spent at a college or university. The highest level of education completed by most CCNA CyberOps holders is either a bachelor's degree (50 percent of those surveyed), master's degree (19.2 percent), or associate's degree (11.5 percent). The outliers are the 11.5 percent of respondents who completed some level of post-high school technical training, the 3.9 percent who exited the realm of formal education after graduating from high school, and the 3.9 percent who are currently students at some level.

A sturdy 81.3 percent of CCNA CyberOps holders who responded to the survey are employed full-time, with the remaining 18 percent either employed part-time (12.5 percent) or currently in school (6.2 percent). Among those who have full-time jobs, most are at work either between 41 and 50 hours per week (69.2 percent of respondents) or for the standard 40 hours per week. The rest are either overworked, putting in more than 50 hours per week (7.8 percent of respondents) or have a lighter-than-usual schedule of between 31 and 39 hours per week (3.8 percent).

Virtualization in computer networking is probably increasing the possibility of remote work, but a majority of CCNA CyberOps holders still do most of their work in a traditional office setting: 57.7 percent of those surveyed work from home fewer than 10 hours per week. A further 15.4 percent of respondents work from home between 10 and 20 hours per week, while 19.2 percent work from home between 21 and 30 hours per week, and 7.7 percent work from home between 31 and 39 hours per week.

In terms of workplace standing, the largest single group of CCNA CyberOps holders we heard from are either at the senior specialist (25.7 percent of those surveyed) or specialist (also 25.7 percent) level. The rest, in descending order, are either rank-and-file employees (20 percent of respondents), managers (14.3 percent), directors (8.6 percent), or senior managers (5.7 percent).

A notable 51.4 percent of CCNA CyberOps holders who responded to the survey are IT veterans, having worked in a role that directly utilizes one or more of their certified skills for more than a decade. The rest have been plying their certified skills for either between zero years (1 to 11 months) and 2 years (22.9 percent), between 3 and 5 years (8.5 percent), between 6 and 8 years (14.3 percent), or between 9 and 10 years (2.9 percent).

Finally, here's the view of CCNA CyberOps holders on key questions from the survey about how certification impacts job performance:

At my current job I use skills learned or enhanced through certification:
Several times a day: 17.1 percent
Several times a week: 60 percent
Several times a month: 17.1 percent
Occasionally: 2.9 percent
Rarely: 2.9 percent

Since becoming certified, I feel there is greater demand for my skills.
Strongly agree: 40 percent
Agree: 45.7 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 8.6 percent
Disagree: 5.7 percent
Strongly Disagree: [No responses]

Becoming certified has increased my problem-solving skills.
Strongly agree: 34.3 percent
Agree: 40 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 22.9 percent
Disagree: 2.9 percent
Strongly Disagree: [No responses]

Becoming certified has increased my workplace productivity.
Strongly agree: 27.9 percent
Agree: 44.3 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 21.3 percent
Disagree: 1.6 percent
Strongly Disagree: 4.9 percent

PAST CCNA CYBEROPS DEEP FOCUS FEATURES

2019