CISOs and principal cybersecurity engineers top the 2026 pay charts: CISOs commonly command base salaries of roughly $220,000 to $420,000 and total compensation that often reaches $420,000 to $500,000 or more, while principal engineers typically earn base pay around $160,000 to $208,000 with total packages frequently above $225,000. They stand out because CISOs carry organization-wide accountability and executive pay premiums, while principal engineers earn top dollars for deep, hands-on technical problem solving; beginners can start toward these lanes with structured, affordable training such as Nucamp’s 15-week Cybersecurity Fundamentals Bootcamp, which costs about $2,124 and prepares students for entry-level roles. READ MORE