Security developers in South Korea now earn about 50% more than general software developers, as rising artificial intelligence-driven hacking threats fuel hiring demand.
The median annual salary for security developers in Korea is 146.55 million won ($102,000), compared with 97.1 million won for general developers, a gap of 49.45 million won, or about 51%, according to Levels.fyi, an overseas recruitment and compensation data platform, on the 19th. Because the platform draws mainly on large companies rather than small and mid-sized firms in Korea, the figures are likely higher than actual average pay, but the gap within the same company is still expected to be substantial. Demand for security developers has surged on hacking concerns, in contrast to general developers, whose hiring demand has fallen as AI agents become more widely adopted.
Security developers are required to have industry-specific expertise, including an understanding of system architecture and networks and the ability to analyze vulnerabilities, on top of general programming skills. As AI is used to scan for vulnerabilities and automate attacks, specialists capable of defending against such attacks are becoming scarcer. An official in the information technology industry said telecommunications and platform companies, as well as high-paying sectors such as finance, are expanding mid-career hiring in cybersecurity. "Demand is also growing for high-level talent that companies previously did not recruit, such as penetration testing specialists, so the upward trend in salaries is bound to continue for some time," the official said.
The concern is that skilled workers are leaving specialized security firms, which lack financial resources, for large companies in large numbers, potentially weakening the competitiveness of Korea's information security ecosystem. A survey by the Korea Information Security Industry Association early this year found that 65% of 278 domestic security companies had recently experienced an outflow of staff. Experts said the government urgently needs substantive industry support measures, such as improving the fees paid for maintaining security systems. Yum Hueng-yeul, an emeritus professor of information security at Soonchunhyang University, said it is difficult to restrict individuals from changing jobs given the freedom to choose one's occupation, but added that incentive policies are needed to encourage hiring of entry-level and junior staff so that they can build long careers at security firms.