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What is a cryptographer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a cryptographer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $24.81 an hour? That's $51,595 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 31% and produce 11,200 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreCryptographerUS Average
Salary
-

Avg. Salary $51,595

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
-

Growth rate 31%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
-
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.22%

Asian 22.75%

Black or African American 5.06%

Hispanic or Latino 7.59%

Unknown 4.95%

White 59.43%

Gender

female 16.67%

male 83.33%

Age - 35
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35

Key steps to become a cryptographer

  1. Explore cryptographer education requirements

    Most common cryptographer degrees

    Doctorate

    50.0 %

    Bachelor's

    50.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific cryptographer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Cryptography100.00%
  3. Complete relevant cryptographer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New cryptographers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a cryptographer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real cryptographer resumes.
  4. Research cryptographer duties and responsibilities

    • Lead security evaluation and provide secure design guidance for VPN encrypting routers and software define radios throughout the development life cycle.
    • Design several secure white-box cryptography schemes, which include a memory-hard cipher with tunable memory requirements and a polynomial-base non-invertible scheme.
    • Devise increased security measures, with leadership, that dramatically increase safety and effectiveness of employees and customers.
  5. Apply for cryptographer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a cryptographer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first cryptographer job

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Average cryptographer salary

The average cryptographer salary in the United States is $51,595 per year or $25 per hour. Cryptographer salaries range between $24,000 and $106,000 per year.

Average cryptographer salary
$51,595 Yearly
$24.81 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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