How To Become A Data Security Analyst: What It Is and Career Path

What is a data security analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Eduardo Zambrano

A data security analyst( also known as a security analyst for information) safeguards an enterprise's data from external attacks. They are in demand in all forms of industry powered by results, such as consultancy services, computer systems architecture, and financial services.

As a data security analyst, you are generally required to hold at least a bachelor's degree in software engineering, computer science, information assurance, or a related field. However, most employers prefer candidates who have a master's degree in business administration in information systems.

The BLS reports that graduates who gravitate toward this field end up laying claim to annual earnings that top out at $54,000. The current median pay for a data security analyst range from $73,000 to $129,500 in the US. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience, skills, or organization.

What general advice would you give to a data security analyst?

Eduardo Zambrano

Professor of Economics, Orfalea College of Business

First, here is some 'technical' advice:
Every Economics graduate should feel very comfortable with coding and data management. This training can be obtained, if your school does not offer it, by attending software and data carpentry workshops online (https://carpentries.org/). A graduate with good Python and R skills, and working knowledge of SQL, will stand out in a crowded field, no matter what sub-field of economics the graduate may be interested in.

Now, here is some 'big picture' advice:
Economic data does not analyze itself, and it does not come from 'nature.' Economic data is the result of the decisions of individuals. To understand data generated by a human activity, you need to think about the incentives that lead individuals to make the decisions that are captured in this data. Therefore, knowledge of econometrics is essential, as it is knowledge of economic theory. What distinguishes Economists from other kinds of data analysts is this emphasis on the understanding that if you do not factor accurately how individuals respond to incentives in the analysis of your data, your review is likely to be flawed or, at least, incomplete. Getting good at this way of data analysis takes many years, and graduates should be prepared to continue learning how to do this well past their college years. With this advice comes a caveat, and an acknowledgment of responsibility: every data analyst must understand that decisions based on data have ethical implications, and can affect some gender or ethnic groups in different ways. These considerations must be explicitly addressed, or the analyst may provide biased and ultimately undesirable advice to the decision-makers.

ScoreData Security AnalystUS Average

Salary

6.8

Avg. Salary $87,446

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.5

Growth rate 32%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.43%

Asian 9.64%

Black or African American 9.15%

Hispanic or Latino 8.99%

Unknown 6.09%

White 65.70%

Gender

female 39.04%

male 60.96%

Age - 42

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 - 42

Stress level

6.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.9

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a data security analyst

Explore data security analyst education requirements

Most common data security analyst degrees

Bachelor's

55.5 %

Associate

25.4 %

Master's

12.1 %

Start to develop specific data security analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Security	9.58%
Incident Response	7.75%
Access Management	6.11%
Encryption	5.28%
SQL	4.82%

Complete relevant data security analyst training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New data security analysts 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 data security analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real data security analyst resumes.

Gain additional data security analyst certifications

Data security analyst certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific data security analyst certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for data security analysts include Security 5 Certification and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

More About Certifications

Research data security analyst duties and responsibilities

Provide support for manage IP security services customers in a 24x7 UNIX operations center.
Manage quality control team of senior auditors, budgets, HIPAA compliance reports to CMS, monthly audit tracking/reporting.
Provide architecture and design guidance in network segmentation and isolation of PCI data and equipment in order to achieve PCI compliance.
Manage centralized and decentralize correlation servers for intrusion detection and log monitoring.

Prepare your data security analyst resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your data security analyst resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a data security analyst resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable data security analyst resume templates

Build a professional data security analyst resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your data security analyst resume.