Network security engineers and information security directors each saw average salary increases of £5,000, according to the salary index compiled by UK-based Acumin Consulting.
The largest drop in starting salaries was reported for various security consultant roles, which saw an average salary decrease of £5,000 over the last three months. Information security and risk managers working for small and medium-sized enterprises also saw a small decrease, returning to levels recorded at the start of the year.
Across the three types of organizations surveyed, security vendors generally fared the best, with only one role surveyed seeing a slight salary drop. These were government-focused consultants, whose salaries marginally dropped following a period of stabilization.
Chris Batten, managing director, Acumin Consulting, commented on the index's findings: "In terms of salaries, our quarterly index showed a shaky start to the year with budget cuts beginning to take effect in both the public and private sector. We saw an upward trend in [the second quarter], however, that could be seen right across consultancies, end users and vendors. This was further evidence that information security was becoming an even greater priority for many businesses, driving growth in the face of recession in other sectors."