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Cybersecurity Analyst Pay UK 2026/27

Cybersecurity pay stays elevated because the UK talent shortage remains significant and demand is broad across public and private sectors. Security-cleared professionals in defence and government often earn additional premiums.

At a Glance

  • Junior SOC / Security Analyst£2,093 / mo
    of £30,000 gross a year
  • Cybersecurity Analyst£3,393 / mo
    of £52,000 gross a year
  • Senior / Lead Security Engineer£4,505 / mo
    of £75,000 gross a year
Take-homeTaxNI

Cybersecurity is among the UK's fastest-growing tech domains, and the UK government's annual cyber security skills research has repeatedly found a shortfall of skilled professionals (around 3,800 a year in its 2025 report), supporting stronger salary bargaining power.

The CIISec 2024 survey found a UK median cybersecurity salary of £62,500, with London paying about 30% more.

Professionals with active security clearance in defence and government commonly receive an additional 15–25% versus equivalent non-cleared roles.

Cybersecurity Analyst Salary Breakdown UK 2026/27

The table below shows typical cybersecurity analyst salaries across experience levels and regions, alongside estimated take-home pay after income tax and National Insurance. Click any gross salary figure to open it in the calculator.

LevelNational GrossNational Take-HomeMonthly (National)London GrossLondon Take-Home
Junior SOC / Security Analyst£30,000£25,121£2,093£42,000£33,761
Cybersecurity Analyst£52,000£40,718£3,393£68,000£49,998
Senior / Lead Security Engineer£75,000£54,058£4,505£95,000£65,658

How Cybersecurity Analyst Pay Works in the UK

CISSP, CISM, CEH, and CompTIA Security+ are the most valued certifications; CISSP holders typically earn £10,000–£20,000 above median

HMG security-cleared (SC or DV) roles pay a clearance premium of 10–25% and offer strong employment stability

SOC analyst roles (Tier 1–3) are the most common entry point; moving from Tier 1 to Tier 2 typically adds £8,000–£12,000

Cloud security and threat intelligence are the two fastest-growing salary sub-specialisms in 2025

Penetration testers and ethical hackers with CREST or OSCP certification can earn £55,000–£85,000 at mid-career nationally

NCSC degree apprenticeships are a growing entry pathway, offering an alternative to traditional CS degrees

Income Tax and National Insurance in 2026/27

Like all UK workers, cybersecurity analysts salaries are subject to income tax and National Insurance (NI) contributions. In the 2026/27 tax year:

Income Tax Bands
Up to £12,5700% (Personal Allowance)
£12,571 – £50,27020% (Basic Rate)
£50,271 – £125,14040% (Higher Rate)
Above £125,14045% (Additional Rate)
Employee National Insurance
Up to £12,5700%
£12,570 – £50,2708%
Above £50,2702%
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Use the calculator above to see your exact take-home pay after all deductions, including pension contributions and student loan repayments if applicable.

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Take-home calculator

Your take-home pay

Enter your salary and we'll break down income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and your final take-home for 2026/27.

Your pay

per year
per year

Bonuses, commission, overtime, capital gains, investments and similar.

Your take-home pay

£3,257a month

£39,089 a year · £752 a week

Out of £4,333 gross a month

  • Take-home pay£3,25775.2%
  • Your pension+ £130 from your employer£2175.0%
  • Income tax£61414.2%
  • National Insurance£2455.7%
HMRC 2026/27 rates, updated 6 April 2026

If you invested £1,007 each month into an ISA after covering your expenses, you could make £602,412 over 25 years: +£300,194 on top of what you put in, thanks to compounding returns.

See how
Pension, region, student loan, State Pension age
%
%

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State Pension age

68 applies if you were born after 5 April 1978.

Explore your finances

Model your expenses, project your wealth, and find your path to financial independence, using the pay figures above.

Your monthly spending

Essentials

£per month
Housing, bills, council tax, food.

Everything else

£per month
Things you choose to pay for.

Your plan

The earliest you can retire with your workplace pension is usually 55 (rising to 57 from 6 April 2028). You won't get your state pension until your mid or late 60s, depending on your current age. Tip: try playing around with your target retirement age to see how things change.
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£
The total balance of any existing ISA Savings accounts (GIAs are not currently supported)

Financial independence

%
% of today
%
Financial independence means having enough saved that your outgoings are covered for the rest of your life.

Where your £4,333 a month goes

  • Essentials£1,750
  • Everything else£500
  • Tax and NI£859
  • Pension£217
  • Left to invest in your ISA£1,007

Projected wealth

Estimated income over 50 years, in today's money, with a 5% annual return and 0.35% yearly platform and fund fees.

Projected pension

Your pension pot over 31 years at three growth rates, after 0.35% fees, in today's money.

Calculations
  • FI Target = Annual outgoings (£21,600) * Years needed for 4.00% SWR (25.00) = £540,000
  • Invested annual pension = £4,160
  • Invested annual surplus = £12,089
  • Inflation of 2.5% / year
  • Assumes New State Pension, payments increasing with inflation (2.5% / year)
  • Assumes student loans last 30 years max
  • Assumes a flex-drawdown pension for illustration purposes
  • Assumes you draw down pension up to the higher rate bracket (£50,270), then draw down your S&S ISA
  • Pension lump sums are not included