Cyberthreats keep evolving at an unprecedented rate, affecting critical digital infrastructure across industries. Worst of all? No one’s safe. Not healthcare providers, not financial institutions, and not even government agencies. That’s why it shouldn’t be surprising that the demand for cybersecurity professionals is also unprecedented, with over 347,000 positions waiting to be filled throughout Europe.

Naturally, such high demand comes with competitive salaries for highly trained and educated individuals. So, if you’re pursuing a master’s degree in cyber security, salary expectations are undoubtedly promising, often reaching six figures.

In other words, investing in a master’s degree in cyber security is investing in a financially secure future.

But just how secure will this future be? Keep reading to learn what the master’s in cybersecurity salary expectations are.

How Much Can I Make With a Master’s in Cybersecurity?

Given how desperately companies need qualified cybersecurity professionals, they do their best to make their offers as attractive as possible. That’s why the average salary for a master’s degree in cyber security is roughly €73,000 a year.

In the U.S., the situation is even better, with the average salary as high as $132,962 (around €123,000) a year. This is great news, as virtually all cybersecurity job positions can be done fully remotely.

As for a salary range, top earners make over €100,000 a year in countries like Luxembourg, Belgium, and Switzerland. Entry-level positions typically start at €30,000. This discrepancy clearly shows that years of experience play a significant role in determining the cybersecurity master’s salary. But this factor is far from the only one.

The location of the job, the specific industry (private or public sector), and the level of responsibility also heavily influence compensation in the cybersecurity field.

With these elements, the math is simple. Countries with higher demand for cybersecurity professionals (e.g., Germany) will generally offer higher salaries. The same goes for industries, such as finance and technology, which pay better than government jobs. But what about the level of responsibility? How does your cybersecurity role affect your salary?

The good news is that those who hold a master’s degree can earn a six-figure salary even if they aren’t in a leadership position. Let’s break down the average master’s in cyber security salary expectations for the most common roles in cybersecurity.

  • Information security analyst: €100,000
  • Cybersecurity manager: €105,000
  • Cybersecurity engineer: €125,000
  • Incident response manager: €125,000
  • Penetration and vulnerability tester: €125,000
  • Cybersecurity consultant: €140,000

Can I Make 200k a Year in Cybersecurity?

If you’re looking for a yes or no answer, it’s yes, you can make €200,000 a year in cybersecurity. But since this figure is missing from the median salaries shown in the previous section, you can probably conclude that a €200,000 yearly salary isn’t the norm for every cybersecurity professional.

So, what does it take to earn this impressive figure?

The “easiest” way to such a high cybersecurity master’s degree salary is through a leadership position. For instance, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are all but guaranteed a salary over €200,000, even when working in mid-sized companies. The same goes for the lead software security engineer.

Another factor that can contribute to such a lucrative pay is location. Working for a U.S. company in a high-demand area is more likely to get you your desired salary. For instance, for New York City and Los Angeles master’s in cyber security jobs, salary often reaches €200,000 due to a high demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals.

Finally, specialized roles that call for niche expertise, such as application security engineer, can also command a €200,000 salary.

As you can see, all the highest-paid positions require a Master of Science in cybersecurity. Salary expectations for a Bachelor of Science and other lower-level certifications in cybersecurity usually fail to hit the €200,000 mark.

Can You Make 500k a Year in Cybersecurity?

Again, the short answer is yes, you can make €500,000 a year in cybersecurity. But keep in mind that this salary is reserved only for exceptional scenarios and individuals, such as the following:

  • Cybersecurity professionals in extremely niche expertise areas (e.g., disaster recovery and application security)
  • Leadership roles within large multinationals or Fortune 500 corporations
  • Cybersecurity consultants for high-end clients
  • Entrepreneurs working on cybersecurity solutions and products

The Investment in Education vs. Return on Salary

There’s no doubt about it – cybersecurity is a highly lucrative field. But to earn the highest possible salary in the field, you’ll need one of the highest degrees of education – a master’s degree. Of course, this degree won’t be affordable if you want it to come from a highly reputable institution. So, is a master’s degree in cybersecurity even worth it?

The answer is a resounding yes!

Let’s do the math.

The simplest 10-year return-on-investment (ROI) calculation looks like this:

(expected annual salary post-master’s x 10) – (annual salary pre-master’s x 10) – (the total tuition for the master’s degree)

Let’s say you’re pre-master’s annual salary is €30,000 and your goal post-degree is a €75,000 salary. For tuition, we’ll use €6,750, which is the cost of the highly coveted Master’s Degree in Enterprise Cybersecurity at the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT.)

After crunching the numbers, you’ll see that the ROI from a cybersecurity master’s from OPIT is over €440,000.

That’s not to mention all the possibilities for advancement within the field and the possibility of working for U.S. companies, which are known to pay significantly more than most European companies.

OPIT’s Master’s Degree (MSc) in Enterprise Cybersecurity: Positioning for High Salaries

The potential ROI from an OPIT master’s degree is a reason enough to pursue a Master’s Degree in Enterprise Cybersecurity. Still, let’s explore how this reputable institution positions its students for such high salaries.

At OPIT, you won’t just work on your technical skills. You’ll also acquire a lot of valuable managerial expertise that allows you to pursue a variety of high-paying roles within the cybersecurity landscape. After all, you can’t get to the CISO position without mastering the intersection of technology and management.

On top of this perfect blend of knowledge, OPIT gives you a chance to gain real-world project experience while studying. This means that you’ll be ready to take on virtually any role in cybersecurity from day one. No extensive training needed!

Here are just some of the roles an OPIT master’s degree can prepare you for:

  • CISO
  • Cybersecurity director
  • Security solutions architect
  • Cybersecurity risk analyst
  • Incident response manager
  • Cybersecurity compliance officer

Aim for Long-Term Success

With a master’s degree in cyber security, salary expectations rise beyond the industry average, which is already more than competitive. Of course, this degree should come from a prestigious institution like OPIT. Why? This is the only way to achieve top-tier salary benchmarks wherever you end up working.

So, if you’re looking for a long-term career that offers financial stability and growth, don’t think twice about applying for OPIT.

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OPIT Supporting a New Generation of Cybersecurity Leaders
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
Aug 28, 2025 5 min read

The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) began enrolling students in 2023 to help bridge the skills gap between traditional university education and the requirements of the modern workplace. OPIT’s MSc courses aim to help professionals make a greater impact on their workplace through technology.

OPIT’s courses have become popular with business leaders hoping to develop a strong technical foundation to understand technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, that are shaping their industry. But OPIT is also attracting professionals with strong technical expertise looking to engage more deeply with the strategic side of digital innovation. This is the story of one such student, Obiora Awogu.

Meet Obiora

Obiora Awogu is a cybersecurity expert from Nigeria with a wealth of credentials and experience from working in the industry for a decade. Working in a lead data security role, he was considering “what’s next” for his career. He was contemplating earning an MSc to add to his list of qualifications he did not yet have, but which could open important doors. He discussed the idea with his mentor, who recommended OPIT, where he himself was already enrolled in an MSc program.

Obiora started looking at the program as a box-checking exercise, but quickly realized that it had so much more to offer. As well as being a fully EU-accredited course that could provide new opportunities with companies around the world, he recognized that the course was designed for people like him, who were ready to go from building to leading.

OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity

OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity launched in 2024 as a fully online and flexible program ideal for busy professionals like Obiora who want to study without taking a career break.

The course integrates technical and leadership expertise, equipping students to not only implement cybersecurity solutions but also lead cybersecurity initiatives. The curriculum combines technical training with real-world applications, emphasizing hands-on experience and soft skills development alongside hard technical know-how.

The course is led by Tom Vazdar, the Area Chair for Cybersecurity at OPIT, as well as the Chief Security Officer at Erste Bank Croatia and an Advisory Board Member for EC3 European Cybercrime Center. He is representative of the type of faculty OPIT recruits, who are both great teachers and active industry professionals dealing with current challenges daily.

Experts such as Matthew Jelavic, the CEO at CIM Chartered Manager Canada and President of Strategy One Consulting; Mahynour Ahmed, Senior Cloud Security Engineer at Grant Thornton LLP; and Sylvester Kaczmarek, former Chief Scientific Officer at We Space Technologies, join him.

Course content includes:

  • Cybersecurity fundamentals and governance
  • Network security and intrusion detection
  • Legal aspects and compliance
  • Cryptography and secure communications
  • Data analytics and risk management
  • Generative AI cybersecurity
  • Business resilience and response strategies
  • Behavioral cybersecurity
  • Cloud and IoT security
  • Secure software development
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving
  • Leadership and communication in cybersecurity
  • AI-driven forensic analysis in cybersecurity

As with all OPIT’s MSc courses, it wraps up with a capstone project and dissertation, which sees students apply their skills in the real world, either with their existing company or through apprenticeship programs. This not only gives students hands-on experience, but also helps them demonstrate their added value when seeking new opportunities.

Obiora’s Experience

Speaking of his experience with OPIT, Obiora said that it went above and beyond what he expected. He was not surprised by the technical content, in which he was already well-versed, but rather the change in perspective that the course gave him. It helped him move from seeing himself as someone who implements cybersecurity solutions to someone who could shape strategy at the highest levels of an organization.

OPIT’s MSc has given Obiora the skills to speak to boards, connect risk with business priorities, and build organizations that don’t just defend against cyber risks but adapt to a changing digital world. He commented that studying at OPIT did not give him answers; instead, it gave him better questions and the tools to lead. Of course, it also ticks the MSc box, and while that might not be the main reason for studying at OPIT, it is certainly a clear benefit.

Obiora has now moved into a leading Chief Information Security Officer Role at MoMo, Payment Service Bank for MTN. There, he is building cyber-resilient financial systems, contributing to public-private partnerships, and mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity experts.

Leading Cybersecurity in Africa

As well as having a significant impact within his own organization, studying at OPIT has helped Obiora develop the skills and confidence needed to become a leader in the cybersecurity industry across Africa.

In March 2025, Obiora was featured on the cover of CIO Africa Magazine and was then a panelist on the “Future of Cybersecurity Careers in the Age of Generative AI” for Comercio Ltd. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry also invited him to speak on Cybersecurity in Africa.

Obiora recently presented the keynote speech at the Hackers Secret Conference 2025 on “Code in the Shadows: Harnessing the Human-AI Partnership in Cybersecurity.” In the talk, he explored how AI is revolutionizing incident response, enhancing its speed, precision, and proactivity, and improving on human-AI collaboration.

An OPIT Success Story

Talking about Obiora’s success, the OPIT Area Chair for Cybersecurity said:

“Obiora is a perfect example of what this program was designed for – experienced professionals ready to scale their impact beyond operations. It’s been inspiring to watch him transform technical excellence into strategic leadership. Africa’s cybersecurity landscape is stronger with people like him at the helm. Bravo, Obiora!”

Learn more about OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity and how it can support the next steps of your career.

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How Regenerative Business Models Are Redefining Innovation and Sustainability
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
Aug 18, 2025 6 min read

Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) masterclasses bring students face-to-face with real-world business challenges. In OPIT’s July masterclass, OPIT Professor Francesco Derchi and Ph.D. candidate Robert Mario de Stefano explained the principles of regenerative businesses and how regeneration goes hand in hand with growth.

Regenerative Business Models

Professor Derchi began by explaining what exactly is meant by regenerative business models, clearly differentiating them from sustainable or circular models.

Many companies pursue sustainable business models in which they offset their negative impact by investing elsewhere. For example, businesses that are big carbon consumers will support nature regeneration projects. Circular business models are similar but are more focused on their own product chain, aiming to minimize waste by keeping products in use as long as possible through recycling. Both models essentially aim to have a “net-zero” negative impact on the environment.

Regenerative models are different because they actively aim to have a “net-positive” impact on the environment, not just offsetting their own use but actively regenerating the planet.

Massive Transformative Purpose

While regenerative business models are often associated with philanthropic endeavors, Professor Derchi explained that they do not have to be, and that investment in regeneration can be a driver of growth.

He discussed the importance of corporate purpose in the modern business space. Having a strong and clearly stated corporate purpose is considered essential to drive business decision-making, encourage employee buy-in, and promote customer loyalty.

But today, simple corporate missions, such as “make good shoes,” don’t go far enough. People are looking for a Massive Transformational Purpose (MTP) that can take the business to the next level.

Take, for example, Ben & Jerry’s. The business’s initial corporate purpose may have been to make great ice cream and serve it up in a way that people will enjoy. But the business really began to grow when they embraced an MTP. As they announced in their mission statement, “We believe that ice cream can change the world.” Their business activities also have the aim of advancing human rights and dignity, supporting social and economic justice, and protecting and restoring the Earth’s natural systems. While these aims are philanthropic, they have also helped the business grow.

RePlanet

Professor Derchi next talked about RePlanet, a business he recently worked to develop their MTP. Founded in 2015, RePlanet designs and implements customized renewable energy solutions for businesses and projects. The company already operates in the renewable energy field and ranked as the 21st fastest-growing business in Italy in 2023. So while they were already enjoying great success, Derchi worked with them to see if actively embracing a regenerative business model could unlock additional growth.

Working together, RePlanet moved towards an MTP of building a greener future based on today’s choices, ensuring a cleaner world for generations. Meeting this goal started with the energy products that RePlanet sells, such as energy systems that recover heat from dairy farms. But as the business’s MTP, it goes beyond that. RePlanet doesn’t just engage suppliers; it chooses partners that share its specific values. It also influences the projects they choose to work on – they prioritize high-impact social projects, such as recently installing photovoltaic energy systems at a local hospital in Nigeria – and how RePlanet treats its talent, acknowledging that people are the true energy of the company.

Regenerative Business Strategies

Based on work with RePlanet and other businesses, Derchi has identified six archetypal regenerative business strategies for businesses that want to have both a regenerative impact and drive growth:

  • Regenerative Leadership – Laying the foundation for regeneration in a broader sense throughout the company
  • Nature Regeneration – Strategies to improve the health of the natural world
  • Social Regeneration – Regenerating human ecosystems through things such as fair-trade practices
  • Responsible Sourcing – Empowering and strengthening suppliers and their communities
  • Health & Well-being – Creating products and services that have a positive effect on customers
  • Employee Focus – Improve work conditions, lives, and well-being of employees.

Case Studies

Building on the concept of regenerative business models, Roberto Mario de Stefano shared other case studies of businesses that are having a positive impact and enjoying growth thanks to regenerative business models and strategies.

Biorfarm

Biorfarm is a digital platform that supports small-scale agriculture by creating a direct link between small farmers and consumers. Cutting out the middleman in modern supply chains means that farmers earn about 50% more for their produce. They set consumers up as “digital farmers” who actively support and learn about farming activities to promote more conscious food consumption.

Their vision is to create a food economy in which those who produce food and those who consume it are connected. This moves consumers from passive cash cows for large corporations that prioritize profits over the well-being of farmers to actively supporting natural production and a more sustainable system.

Rifo Lab

Rifo Lab is a circular clothing brand with the vision of addressing the problem of overproduction in the clothing industry. Established in Prato, Italy, a traditional textile-producing area, the company produces clothes made from textile waste and biodegradable materials. There are no physical stores, and all orders must be placed online; everything is made to order, reducing excess production.

With an eye on social regeneration, all production takes place within 30 kilometers of their offices, allowing the business to support ethical and local production. They also work with companies that actively integrate migrants into the local community, sharing their local artisan crafts with future generations.

Ogyre

Ogyre is a digital platform that allows you to pay fishermen to fish for waste. When fishermen are out conducting their livelihood, they also collect a significant amount of waste from the ocean, especially plastic waste. Ogyre arranges for fishermen to get paid for collecting that waste, which in turn supports the local fishing communities, and then transforms the waste collected into new sustainable products.

Moving Towards a Regenerative Future

The masterclass concluded with a Q&A session, where it explained that working in regenerative businesses requires the same skills as any other business. But it also requires you to embrace a mindset where value comes from giving and that growth is about working together for a better future, and not just competition.

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