According to a 2021 Burning Glass Technologies analysis, as more firms move their activities to cloud environments, security personnel with specific cloud understanding will be in high demand. Cloud security is also one of the fastest-growing talents in cybersecurity, reported Burning Glass Technologies, in which, CCSP certification plays a significant role in the cybersecurity world.
In this article, IT Exams will discuss the CCSP certification, how it can boost your career prospects, and CCSP certification salary trends as well as what you can expect in 2023.
What is the CCSP Certification?
The Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) certification is intended for those who have some expertise in information technology (IT) and security and want to improve their careers in cloud-based cybersecurity. It is granted to individuals who can exhibit advanced technical abilities and knowledge required to develop, manage, and protect data, apps, and infrastructure in the cloud, as well as apply industry-accepted best practices, policies, and procedures.
Once you have acquired the CCSP credential, you will be able to adapt your information security skills to a cloud computing environment and demonstrate competency in cloud security architecture, design, operations, and service orchestration.
The exam covers six domains of cloud security, which are as follows:
- Cloud architecture and design
- Cloud data security
- Cloud platform and infrastructure security
- Cloud application security
- Cloud security operations
- Legal, risk, and compliance
To become a CCSP, you must first complete a series of CCSP Requirements and then pass a certification exam designed to assess your understanding of cloud security subjects. Here is a quick overview of the CCSP exam:
| Certification | CCSP |
|---|---|
| Cost | $599 (US) |
| Number of questions | 125 |
| Type of questions | Multiple choice |
| Time to complete | 3 hours |
| Passing score | 700 out of 1,000 points |
| Prerequisites | 5 years of paid work experience in IT (3 years must be in information security and 1 year must be in one of six (ISC)² CCSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) domains |
| Testing locations | Pearson VUE testing centers |
| Available languages | English and Japanese |
| Average CCSP salary (US) | $150,400 (from October 2022) |
Benefits of CCSP Certification
There are several benefits to obtaining CCSP certification, including:
You will comprehend regulatory systems.
Regulatory frameworks develop comprehensive, defined procedures and mechanisms for cloud security. These frameworks describe every aspect of data security, including what data has to be protected and where and how it should be stored. Understanding these frameworks is critical for sustaining cloud security, and being CISSP-certified is the best approach to learn the foundations.
Your career will benefit from CCSP certification.
What exactly do you want to achieve with your cloud security knowledge and experience? You don’t have to work at an office for an organization if you do not want to. You can establish your own business as a cloud security consultant.
You will be incredibly helpful to your clients as an independent cloud security consultant, especially since they will be engaging you to design specific security solutions for their firm. You may even specialize in a specific industry to raise your value even further. As you deal with additional clients, you will obtain more specific experience, making you even more valuable.
You will learn how to solve certain problems.
The ability to tackle unique challenges is essential for becoming a useful asset to your firm. Although knowledge alone can get you hired, it is insufficient. Technical knowledge is frequently conceptual and does not develop into experience or wisdom. This makes it difficult to apply that knowledge when it is required. There are so many technical bits to learn, and it’s easy to get locked in a cycle of learning without using what you’ve learned.
You will discover how to apply your knowledge to real-world scenarios as you prepare for the CCSP exam. The majority of exam questions will demand you to show this knowledge in real-world circumstances. You will have proven a thorough comprehension of how to use your new information by passing the CCSP exam and being certified. All you will need from there is real-world experience to advance in your new field.
Your earning capacity will increase.
When you become a Certified Cloud Security Professional, your earning potential increases automatically. You will be selected first for some positions, but you will also have the option to advance into strategic, higher-paying areas. Without taking additional degrees and experience into account, the average CCSP in the United States makes $119,000 per year. The CCSP salary will be discussed in the next part.
CCSP supplements vendor-specific certifications.
Do you have AWS certification from a previous job? Perhaps you obtained Microsoft Azure certification for your current employer? Vendor-specific certificates are useful, but only if you work for a specific organization. When you leave a position, your certification will be meaningless to prospective employers who do not use the platform for which you are qualified. A CCSP certification will supplement your prior platform-specific qualifications while also being valuable on its own.
You will automatically acquire respect.
Certain certificates just command the respect of teammates, employers, and higher-ups. One of these qualifications is the CCSP certification. People will respect your authority more if they know you’re certified. People around you will pick up on your confidence and reflect it back to you in the form of respect if you can stand confidently in your judgments and decisions.
Being a CCSP entails a great deal of responsibility, and people will look to you for direction and support. They’ll take what you say seriously, and the more you come through for them, the more respect they will have for your authority.
People will regard you as an authority figure.
The vast majority of CCSP-certified cybersecurity professionals are employed as incident response/forensic analysts, security managers, security directors, security engineers, and security analysts. They frequently carry the designations CISO, CSO, and ISO. All of these positions are associated with a perceived level of knowledge.
You cannot get into any of these positions unless you know your thing, therefore as a CCSP, you will have no trouble advancing to a position of leadership where you are regarded as an expert.
CCSP Certification Salary on Average in 2023
Before delving into the CCSP average compensation, it is important to understand the current state of cloud security. According to a poll of 2,600 respondents, the average income for a cloud security expert in the United States is $121,279 per year. The results revealed a significant variation in average salaries depending on the city in which the respondent worked. The following cities have the highest-paying jobs:
- New York, NY: $134.620
- Seattle, WA: $107,938
- San Jose, CA: $151,599
- Chicago, IL: $99,479
- Austin, TX: $110,363
- New Orleans, LA: $133,407
- Miami, FL: $106,726
This begs the obvious question and the reason you are reading this: What is the typical income for a CCSP cert holder? Is CCSP worth it? More than 5,400 CCSP cert holders participated in a paid survey performed by Certification Magazine in 2022. According to their responses, the average CCSP certification holder’s salary in the United States is $133,740. Another employment salary authority, PayScale, has decided that CCSP cert holders can expect to earn $120,000. With these data in mind, the average CCSP cert holder may earn an annual salary of roughly $127,000, which is a pretty high number.
Factors Affecting CCSP Certification Salary
Geographical Location
Average earnings for cloud security specialists vary by geography, as shown above. It makes sense for a larger city to pay CCSPs more than a small town. The job market and organization sizes differ by area, as does the CCSP salary. Cities with relatively high salaries appear to be New York, San Jose, Seattle, Miami, New Orleans, and Austin.
This is owing to the global appeal of these locations in terms of the employment opportunities they provide. With more businesses developing in these areas, there is a significant demand for trained personnel. Organizations cannot sacrifice their business standards in order to save money.
As a result, they hire the most qualified personnel for their cloud security needs. Another thing to keep in mind is that large organizations rely on cloud computing for their daily operations. According to a recent poll, the average compensation for CCSPs in Austin is USD 110,363.
Those who are passionate about working in cloud security can make a salary of USD 134,620 in New York City. Cloud security specialists situated in Seattle, on the other hand, are paid USD 107,938. San Jose, Miami, Chicago, and New Orleans, for example, pay USD 151,599, 106,726, 119,887, and 133,407, respectively. The average income for certified professionals in the United States is USD 133,740.
Work Experience
Work experience is a clear component in calculating a salary increase. Even more so when the person receiving the salary has CCSP accreditation. Obtaining CCSP Certification requires a significant amount of hands-on experience over a long period of time. As a result, even at the entry-level, a CCSP Certification holder is paid more than the standard rate. Naturally, as a professional’s experience grows at the organization that hires him or her, so will his or her income.
- 3 – 5 years of experience: $109,000
- 6 – 8 years of experience: $117,000
- Over 9 years of experience: $122,000
This demonstrates that CCSP Certification always provides higher remuneration than non-certified individuals in many businesses around the world. Another compelling factor is the certification’s global recognition. After spending on the certification cost, which is relatively minor, one might be satisfied.
Job Role
Despite being focused on cloud security, CCSP roles differ in terms of duties. A security architect earns USD 125,000, according to another credible poll from 2023. The average salary for an IT services director is USD 150,000. Information security managers, on the other hand, are paid USD 116,000. Each of these compensation packages grows for a CCSP Certification holder who works in any of these roles. Even the title “cloud security professional with certification” fetches USD 118,599.
Salary ranges for CCSP Certification holders in the following roles:
- Information security manager: $116,981
- Security director: $160,994
- Security engineer: $107,500
- Security architect: $126,595
- Cybersecurity analyst: $113,000
Other factors
- Choosing the correct industrial sector has a significant impact on the CCSP compensation. Cloud security professionals are in high demand in the retail, financial, and healthcare sectors. Naturally, remuneration will be higher in these industries as well.
- The size of the organization is also important. The wage is determined by whether one works for a Fortune 500 company or a small to medium-sized business. To some extent, the prospect of increasing remuneration is dependent on this factor.
- Working in larger cities may give higher pay than working in towns or smaller cities. One must not overlook the rising cost of living that comes with increased urbanization. Therefore, working in a place with lower living expenditures might occasionally result in larger savings of the money produced.
- The number of cybersecurity job openings, including cloud security, has increased from a million in 2014 to 3.5 million by 2021. The constant evolution of cloud security risks and other cyber attacks ensures lucrative compensation packages for CCSPs.
The pay for cloud security job profiles varies slightly, but this should not be used as a criterion for job selection. The reputation, functional diversification, and numerous career opportunities that come with CCSP Certification far outweigh the monetary compensation.
CCSP Certification Salary vs Other Cloud Security Certifications
While CCSP certification is one of the most highly regarded certifications in the field of cloud security, there are other cloud security certifications that professionals can obtain as well. It is natural for professionals to wonder how the salaries for these certifications compare to CCSP certification.
One of the most popular cloud security certifications is the CompTIA Cloud+. According to industry data, the average salary for CompTIA Cloud+ certified professionals is around $95,000 per year. This is significantly lower than the average salary for CCSP-certified professionals.
Another popular certification is the AWS Certified Security – Specialty. According to industry data, the average salary for AWS Certified Security – Specialty certified professionals is around $130,000 per year. While this is still lower than the average salary for CCSP-certified professionals, it’s worth noting that the AWS certification is specific to Amazon Web Services, whereas CCSP certification is more widely applicable across different cloud platforms.
Overall, while there are other cloud security certifications that professionals can obtain, CCSP certification is one of the most highly valued certifications in the industry, with an average salary of around $140,000 per year.
How to Obtain CCSP Certification
Meeting certain eligibility criteria, passing the CCSP exam, and maintaining the certification through regular continuing education are all required to obtain the CCSP credential.
The following is a step-by-step process for obtaining CCSP certification:
- Obtain adequate job experience: Before you can take the CCSP test and earn your (ISC)² certification, you must have the following experience:
- It is necessary to have at least five years of paid experience in information technology (IT).
- At least three years of paid IT employment experience is required.
- It is necessary to have one year of experience in one or more of the CCSP domains.
- Accept the (ISC)² ethical code: This necessitates adherence to the code of ethics, which includes defending the public good via cloud security measures, acting honestly and in good faith, and trying to elevate the status of security specialists in the IT industry.
- Take the CCSP exam: You can then begin studying for the CCSP exam. If you are confident that you are adequately prepared for the exam, you may register at any time by creating an account and selecting a testing location. You can prepare for the exam by using a variety of materials, such as:
- Official (ISC)² CCSP study materials
- The CCSP Official (ISC)² Practice Tests
- Third-party CCSP study materials and training courses
- CCSP certification questions
- Obtain an endorsement: After passing the CCSP exam, submit an online endorsement application. This application has been endorsed and signed by a certified expert. This individual can attest to your professional abilities, capabilities, and industry repute.
- Pay the annual maintenance cost: You do not have to pay this price if you already hold a certification and are a member of the organization. You are officially CCSP certified once you have paid the maintenance fee.
FAQs
Why is the income potential for CCSP Certification holders limitless?
With organizations rapidly shifting to the cloud, it is clear that the earning potential of CCSPs is limitless. Organizations are willing to go to any extent, including paying hefty salaries, to keep these professionals as assets.
Why is a cloud specialist’s payment so high?
A high CCSP remuneration is also demanded by the cloud specialist profile. It is because a CCSP Certification holder was hired for this role. A qualified individual has all of the expertise needed to install and secure virtualization. Before transferring data to the cloud platform, he or she can detect an organization’s IT requirements.
What is the difference between CCSP and CISSP certifications?
While both CCSP and CISSP certifications are focused on information security, CCSP certification specifically covers cloud security. CISSP certification covers a broader range of security topics, including cryptography, network security, and access control.
Can I get a career in cloud security without a CCSP?
Yes, it is feasible to work in cloud security without having a CCSP certification. However, as a cloud security specialist, CCSP certification considerably boosts your marketability and earning potential on CCSP career path. It also showcases your knowledge of cloud security, making you a desirable candidate for high-paying positions.
How often do I need to renew my CCSP certification?
Every three years, CCSP certification must be renewed by satisfying current education and training requirements. This guarantees that CCSP-certified experts stay current on cloud security advances and maintain their competence in the industry.
Can I take the CCSP exam online?
Yes, you can take the CCSP exam online through Pearson VUE, the official exam provider for (ISC)².
Conclusion
Cloud security is a high-demand area of information security that is unlikely to change very soon. Earning a CCSP certification will increase your earnings significantly. If you are a cloud security professional with five years of experience, you should consider acquiring the CCSP certification to benefit from the higher income it provides. Work experience, location, and job designation can all have an impact on CCSP certification salary, so keep these aspects in mind while evaluating career options.
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