Career Tracks

Take the Right Track

The key when applying for a DHS Cybersecurity Service position is knowing which Career Track most aligns with your experience and expertise. Our jobs fall under five different career tracks – entry, developmental, technical, leadership, and executive. Just starting out? Check out the entry track. Have years of technical and managerial experience? The leadership track may be right for you! Learn more about how to find your path below. Want to learn more about all of our career tracks? Download the Career Levels Overview.

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Our Career Tracks

Entry Track

Start a new cybersecurity career at DHS!

0-2 years of work experience – not including internships

College student or recent graduate looking for a first job
Interested in switching to cybersecurity from another career field
Interested in learning cybersecurity and building technical expertise

Typical starting salary range

$67,900 – $82,500

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Developmental Track

Accelerate an emergent cybersecurity career!

3+ years of cybersecurity work experience

Have worked in an entry-level cybersecurity role
Have identified a primary technical capability
Interested in continuing to deepen technical expertise

Typical starting salary range

$82,800 – $108,000

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Technical Track

Apply your technical expertise in a critical role or through a range of projects!

5+ years of cybersecurity work experience

Have worked in progressively difficult cybersecurity roles
Have contributed to efforts to address cybersecurity challenges and/or to cybersecurity projects, programs and teams
Have a primary technical capability
Interested in applying and maintaining established technical expertise and/or becoming a resident expert

Typical starting salary range

$106,700 – $214,500

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Leadership Track

Manage cybersecurity employees, programs, and organizations!

5+ years of cybersecurity work experience

Have worked in progressively difficult cybersecurity roles
Have contributed to efforts to address cybersecurity challenges and/or to cybersecurity projects, programs and teams
Led efforts to address cybersecurity challenges and/or cybersecurity projects and programs
Have a primary cybersecurity technical capability
Interested in enhancing your management expertise and/or managing cybersecurity employees/organizations

Typical starting salary range

$123,600 – $207,500

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Executive Track

Direct the strategy and operations for large, complex cybersecurity organizations or entire mission functions!

5+ years of cybersecurity work experience

Have significant experience managing cybersecurity programs and teams of cybersecurity employees
Have experience performing and leading work associated with a primary technical capability
Have overseen resource planning, goal setting, and business improvement efforts
Interested in providing strategic mission leadership, guiding specific organizations – or all of DHS or groups of stakeholders – to deliver results

Typical starting salary range

$176,000 – $239,500

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Typical starting salary ranges reflect the salaries most new employees receive in most of the United States in calendar year 2025. In certain geographic areas, typical starting salaries will be higher because of a local cybersecurity labor market supplement. This includes metro Washington, D.C. where salaries include a 10% supplement. Visit Resources to learn more about DHS Cybersecurity Service tracks, career levels and salaries.

In limited circumstances, DHS may hire widely recognized cybersecurity technical experts and industry leaders at salaries higher than those provided in the Technical Track and Executive Track.