Computer Security Consultant: Job Role

How much does a cybersecurity consultant make?

Getting an informed opinion on cybersecurity measures is crucial for many companies to keep their networks protected, thus, computer security consultants are regularly in high demand. According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual salary for a security consultant is $116k per year.

There is a slight variance in entry-level salaries based on the specific skill set of the consultant. According to PayScale, geographic location plays the largest role in determining the salary for the security consultant position.

Experienced security consultants can find their salaries well into the six-figure range, so once you’re done with that education be sure to put the time in and your efforts will be rewarded.

The many faces of the security consultant role

We mentioned earlier that security consultants typically work either in-house or as part of a consulting firm. You may be asking yourself “what’s the difference between the two types of consultancies and how do I know which type of work is for me?” So let’s explore the many sub-categories by taking a closer look.

Working in-house

A common in-house position is a sales engineer, as part of the cybersecurity product sales team. Security engineers spend their time on one end of the sales spectrum building and working directly with the product (deep implementation), but they don’t interact with customers regularly.

On the opposite end, sales representatives directly communicate with customers, but they tend to have minimal technical knowledge of the product being sold. So what happens if the customer has a technical question or concern that needs the be addressed? This is where the sales engineer can come into play.

The sales engineer serves as the middle ground within product sales. Their technical knowledge lets them understand security risks better than regular sales employees. It also gives them the ability to offer minor technical adjustments (light implementation) for the customer.

These types of consultants also tend to be more experienced in customer service than security engineers, so they can communicate directly with customers or sales reps and answer the hard questions. Solutions architect, product consultant, and project manager are other names for this role.

While it’s less common to see entry-level consultants working in-house, as opposed to at a consultancy firm, it’s certainly a realistic possibility. This form of consultancy is best for those who enjoy working in sales and/or have great customer service skills.