{"id":4622,"date":"2022-04-11T20:59:15","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T20:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cyberdegrees.org\/?p=4622"},"modified":"2022-12-08T13:22:28","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T13:22:28","slug":"computer-forensics-analyst-career-and-salary-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cyberdegrees.org\/careers\/computer-forensics\/career-and-salary\/","title":{"rendered":"Computer Forensics Analyst Career and Salary Outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"

The number of cyberattacks peaked in 2021<\/a>. Computer forensics analysts help organizations and law enforcement find evidence related to cybercrimes. Those interested in criminal justice and computers may be a good match for this career.<\/p>\r\n

A successful computer forensics career often requires at least a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity<\/a>, computer forensics, or a related field. Some employers may prefer to hire computer forensics analysts with relevant certifications.<\/p>\r\n

This page explores salary and job<\/a> prospects for computer forensics analysts. We also cover what computer forensics analysts do, where they work, and how location can impact jobs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\n \n \n <\/a>\n\n\r\n\r\n

What Does a Computer Forensics Analyst Do?<\/h2>\r\n

Computer forensics analysis is a field of cybersecurity, which is a subfield of computer science. Computer forensics involves collecting digital evidence in criminal cases. Computer forensics analysts' daily tasks vary depending on their employer, location, experience level, and degree type.<\/p>\r\n

These professionals find, track, and extract digital data that can aid criminal investigations. They search hard drives and use encryption decoding software to examine computers, smartphones, databases, and network servers.<\/p>\r\n

Computer forensics analysts can find jobs with law enforcement, software companies, government agencies, and law firms. They often work for information technology departments with computer systems analysts or security administrators<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\n

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\n What does a typical day for a computer forensics analyst look like?<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/sonic-icon>\n <\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\r\n\r\n

How Much Does a Computer Forensics Analyst Make?<\/h2>\r\n

Becoming a computer forensics analyst can be an attractive career choice because of the potential to earn a salary above the national average in a growing field. Payscale reports forensics computer analysts earned an average annual salary of $74,805<\/a> as of February 2022.<\/p>\r\n

Factors that can impact salaries include education, experience level, industry or specialization, and location.<\/p>\r\n

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects data on information security analysts, which is similar to computer forensic analysts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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$103,590<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Median Annual Salary of Information Security Analysts<\/p>\r\n

Source: BLS, 2020<\/a><\/small><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\n \n \n <\/a>\n\n\r\n\r\n

Salary by Experience<\/h3>\r\n

Experience can greatly affect a computer forensic analyst's salary. The field rewards time in the profession, with average annual salaries going up as forensic computer analysts gain years of experience. People just starting their computer forensics career make $37,790 less than those with 20 years or more of experience.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n