Cyber security salary UK 2026: pay by role and what it really costs to employ
By TalentDock Editorial Team · Updated 27 September 2026 · 7 min read
UK cyber security salaries by role (2026)
| Role | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | Ads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyber security analyst | £40,000 | £50,000 | £65,000 | 566 |
| SOC analyst | £41,250 | £53,000 | £65,000 | 143 |
| Security analyst | £41,250 | £55,000 | £70,000 | 839 |
| DevSecOps engineer | £52,000 | £62,000 | £90,000 | 43 |
| Penetration tester | £50,000 | £65,000 | £80,000 | 163 |
| Cyber security consultant | £50,000 | £65,000 | £85,000 | 241 |
| Cyber security engineer | £55,000 | £65,500 | £77,000 | 194 |
| Cloud security engineer | £65,000 | £75,000 | £87,813 | 130 |
| Cyber security manager | £67,500 | £75,000 | £90,000 | 266 |
| Security architect | £75,000 | £85,000 | £100,000 | 782 |
Source: IT Jobs Watch, which aggregates salaries quoted in UK permanent IT job adverts. Skill-based figures are also useful for roles with fewer dedicated job titles: ads citing application security (£75,000 median), identity and access management (£77,500), incident response (£70,000), threat intelligence (£70,000) and GRC (£75,000). Robert Half’s 2026 UK guide gives lower, placement-based midpoints, for example £47,500 for an information security analyst and £77,250 for a security architect.
London vs the rest of the UK
| Role | London | UK excluding London |
|---|---|---|
| Cyber security analyst | £72,500 | £45,000 |
| SOC analyst | £65,000 | £52,500 |
| Penetration tester | £65,000 | £52,500 |
| Cyber security engineer | £75,000 | £65,000 |
London premiums vary sharply by role and sample size, so treat regional figures as directional.
What a cyber security hire really costs
| Role | Salary | + Employer NICs | + Pension (min.) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOC analyst | £53,000 | £7,200 | £1,321 | £61,521 |
| Cyber security engineer | £65,500 | £9,075 | £1,321 | £75,896 |
| Security architect | £85,000 | £12,000 | £1,321 | £98,321 |
Employer NICs at 15% above the £5,000 secondary threshold; minimum auto-enrolment pension of 3% on qualifying earnings between £6,240 and £50,270. Recruitment fees, security tooling licences, training, certifications and equipment come on top.
The offshore alternative
TalentDock places dedicated security specialists in Sri Lanka from £1,695 a month for analysts and £2,295 for engineers and testers, all-in, which is typically 60-70% below the UK employer cost of the same role. See offshore cybersecurity cost, compare locations in UK vs Sri Lanka, or model it with the cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average cyber security salary in the UK?
It depends on the role. Median advertised salaries in 2026 range from about £50,000 for analysts to £85,000 for security architects.
How much does a SOC analyst earn in the UK?
The median advertised salary was £53,000 in the six months to 26 September 2026, with the middle half of ads between £41,250 and £65,000.
How much does a cyber security engineer earn?
A £65,500 median, with most ads between £55,000 and £77,000.
How much does a security architect earn?
An £85,000 median in UK job ads; Robert Half’s 2026 guide puts the midpoint at £77,250.
What does a cyber security consultant earn in the UK?
A £65,000 median, with the middle half between £50,000 and £85,000.
Why do salary sources disagree?
Job-ad data reflects what employers advertise now; salary guides reflect placements and surveys. Use both as ranges, not exact prices.
IT Jobs Watch, UK permanent job-advert salary statistics for each title and skill, six months to 26 September 2026; Robert Half 2026 UK Salary Guide role pages; HMRC employer NICs and The Pensions Regulator auto-enrolment thresholds.
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