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 These posts contain previously unpublished Salary Survey data.

The best defense in this perilous age of cybersecurity is — let's face it, nobody really knows. Certification is a good place to start, however, and the Check Point Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) credential (No. 10 on our most recent Salary Survey 75 list) will start you on a path to mastering the tools and skills deployed by respected cybersecurity provider Check Point.

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

All U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $140,780
Median Annual Salary: $127,500
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: 33.3 percent
Very Satisfied: 16.7 percent
Satisfied: 50 percent
Not Very Satisfied: [No responses]
Not At All Satisfied: [No responses]

All Non-U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $78,930
Median Annual Salary: $74,480
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: 8.7 percent
Very Satisfied: 17.4 percent
Satisfied: 39.1 percent
Not Very Satisfied: 26.1 percent
Not At All Satisfied: 8.7 percent

The largest single body of CCSA holders to participate in the survey is made up of U.S. residents (34.3 percent), but we also heard from credential holders in 16 other countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Kuwait, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.

Most of the CCSA holders we heard from are men (94.3 percent of respondents), with just a handful of women in the mix. The survey group is pretty tightly concentrated in middle age, with nearly 75 percent of those surveyed either between the ages of 35 and 44 (42.9 percent) or between the ages of 45 and 54 (31.4 percent). The rest are either between the ages of 25 and 34 (11.4 percent of respondents) or between the ages of 55 and 64 (14.3 percent).

More than 78 percent of the CCSA 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 CCSA holders is either a master's degree (45.7 percent of respondents), bachelor's degree ( 31.4 percent), or associate's degree (2.9 percent). The outliers are the 11.4 percent of respondents who completed some level of post-high school technical training, and the 8.6 percent who exited the realm of formal education after graduating from high school.

A solid 92.1 percent of CCSA holders who participated in the survey are employed full-time, with the remaining roughly 8 percent either employed part-time (5.3 percent) or currently in school (2.6 percent). Among those who have full-time jobs, most are punching the clock either for between 41 and 50 hours per week (57 percent of those surveyed) or for the standard 40 hours per week (31.4 percent). The rest are either behind a desk for between 31 and 39 hours per week (8.8 percent of respondents) or for more than 50 hours per week (2.8 percent).

In terms of workplace standing, the largest single group of CCSA holders we heard from are employed at the senior specialist level (59.5 percent of those surveyed). The rest, in descending order, are either managers (12 percent); specialists, directors, or executives (7.1 percent each); rank-and-file employees (4.8 percent); or senior managers (2.4 percent).

A remarkable 76.3 percent of the CCSA 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 3 and 5 years (9.5 percent of respondents), between 6 and 8 years (7.1 percent) or between 9 and 10 years (7.1 percent).

Finally, here's the view of CCSA 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: 47.6 percent
Several times a week: 33.3 percent
Several times a month: 16.7 percent
Occasionally: 2.4 percent
Rarely: [No responses]

Since becoming certified, I feel there is greater demand for my skills.
Strongly agree: 23.8 percent
Agree: 57.1 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 16.7 percent
Disagree: [No responses]
Strongly Disagree: 2.4 percent

Becoming certified has increased my problem-solving skills.
Strongly agree: 23.8 percent
Agree: 61.9 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 14.3 percent
Disagree: [No responses]
Strongly Disagree: [No responses]

Becoming certified has increased my workplace productivity.
Strongly agree: 23.8 percent
Agree: 54.8 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 21.4 percent
Disagree: [No responses]
Strongly Disagree: [No responses]

PAST CCSA DEEP FOCUS FEATURES

2018

2017