CISO job movement slowed between 2022 and the first half of 2024, while experienced security leaders with broader employer and industry histories reported higher compensation. The findings come from a 2024 IANS Research and Artico Search survey; they do not show that changing jobs caused higher pay, and they do not establish that the trend continued in 2025 or 2026.
What the CISO job-movement figures show
IANS Research and Artico Search reported annual CISO rotation of 21% in 2022, 12% in 2023, and 11% annualized in the first half of 2024. The report describes a quieter market, with fewer companies starting CISO searches and fewer moves and counteroffers. These figures cover the period measured, not the current 2026 market. Read the 2024 CISO Compensation Summary Report.
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The survey offers a snapshot of reported movement, not proof of why it slowed. It also does not establish that lower mobility produced higher pay.
How CISO compensation changed in the survey
Most respondents who reported a recent increase said merit was the primary reason. The survey separates these routine increases from compensation changes associated with an employer move or a retention incentive:
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| Increase category | Reported result | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Merit | Average increase of 5.6% in base salary and 6.3% in total compensation | Seventy percent of respondents named merit as the primary reason for their latest compensation increase. |
| Employer change | Average total-compensation increase of 31% | An average for the employer-change category, not a typical increase guaranteed to every CISO. |
| Retention incentive | Average total-compensation increase of 31% | A separate category with the same reported average; equity was a major component. |
These are results from the 2024 IANS/Artico survey. Total compensation can include equity and incentives, so it is not interchangeable with base salary. As Artico Search partner and IANS faculty contributor Steve Martano put it, “In today’s environment of cash preservation, we’re seeing companies utilize equity more often than cash as a negotiation and retention tool.”
Do experienced CISOs earn more?
In the survey’s group with eight to 15 years of experience, respondents who had held CISO or senior security roles at more than two companies reported compensation 61% higher than respondents who had not changed employers during their CISO tenure. Respondents whose experience spanned at least three industries reported compensation 27% higher than those who had stayed in one sector.
These are observed comparisons, not estimates of the pay increase someone would receive by switching jobs or industries. The survey does not establish that employer count or cross-industry experience independently caused the differences.
How much do CISOs make?
The 2024 IANS/Artico survey received 755 CISO responses from April through August 2024; 699 respondents were based in the United States or Canada. For U.S. respondents, average total compensation was $565,000 and the median was $403,000. These are sample benchmarks, not a guaranteed offer or global salary figures. The gap between average and median also means the average should not be read as what a typical individual will earn.
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When comparing a compensation figure with your own, check whether it describes base salary or total compensation and whether the sample reflects your geography, employer scope, and compensation mix. The report’s U.S. figures should not be applied directly to other countries.
Role scope can matter alongside experience
IANS and Artico Search’s 2025 State of the CISO summary, based on more than 800 CISOs surveyed from April through November 2024, classified 28% of respondents as “Strategic.” That group reported 57% higher total compensation than “Functional” CISOs. The classification is a separate comparison axis, not simply another label for years of experience. See the 2025 State of the CISO summary.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What newer surveys add—and what they do not
Heidrick & Struggles surveyed 371 CISOs worldwide in summer 2025 and published its report in February 2026. Its summary says 42% reported directly to a CEO and 30% to a CIO or CTO. It also found that 57% selected AI, machine learning, and data analytics as expertise to build or maintain, while 96% said they were already using AI to enhance cybersecurity. These findings point to a broadening executive remit; they do not provide a comparable CISO job-change rate or establish that pay rose between 2025 and 2026. Read Heidrick & Struggles’ 2025 Global CISO Compensation Survey.
IANS and Artico Search’s 2026 Cybersecurity Talent Report covers cybersecurity staff across seniority levels rather than a CISO-only mobility series, so it is not a direct update to the 2022–first-half-2024 rotation figures. See the 2026 Cybersecurity Talent Report.
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