Pay is on the increase in the information security sector, according to a new survey from information security recruiter Acumin’s Information Security Recruitment Index.

The survey shows salary increased by up to £10,000 for direct sales positions selling standalone, large security solutions and product suites in mid-corporate and enterprise organisations. The average annual salary now ranges from £45,000 – £80,000, compared to £45,000 – £70,000 in August 2009, indicating the security industry may be preparing for an upturn early 2010.

Chris Batten, MD at Acumin Consulting, says: “Security vendors are tending to demand direct sales staff, rather than channel sales staff. This means new business, direct and enterprise sales staff are in demand.

“The indication is that these companies are pro-actively pursuing large deals themselves, perhaps relying on the channel for delivery fulfilment, rather than sales and delivery fulfilment. The increase in demand for these skills has caused an increase in base salaries and they are now almost back to pre-2009 levels,” he added.