Technology
How to become an SOC Analyst
From no experience: every step, how long it takes, and the credential it earns.
- Time to get there
- 6–12 months
- Typical pay
- $62k–$85k
- Starting from
- No experience
Pay is an estimate of typical US entry-level pay for this role and varies by state, employer and shift. The timeline assumes you are starting from no experience and includes any licence or programme legally required, not just course length.
See SOC analyst jobs open nowThe route
Learn networking and security fundamentals
You cannot triage an alert about traffic you do not understand.
Course that covers thisCompTIA Network+ N10-009 (V9) Practice Exam QuestionsUdemy · around $19.99Get Security+ or equivalent
The most common hard filter on tier-1 SOC postings.
Course that covers thisCompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) Real Practice TestsUdemy · around $19.99CompTIA Security+
Practise in a home lab
Run a SIEM, generate alerts, investigate them. Blue-team labs and CTFs both count.
Take a tier-1 shift role
Almost always rotating shifts, including nights. It is the standard way in.
Typical titles at this level
- SOC Analyst I
- Security Operations Analyst
- Browse jobs now
Destination
SOC Analyst
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