Cybersecurity Degree in Philadelphia, PA — Salary & ROI 2026
Cybersecurity degree analysis for Philadelphia, PA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$120K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$173K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
2.3 yrs
in Philadelphia
Cost of Living
150
index (100 = avg)
Cybersecurity in Philadelphia, PA Overview
Philadelphia is one of Pennsylvania's top college towns, with 42 institutions and a student population of 116,806. Public tuition averages $18,526/year here — near the national average for public universities. Cybersecurity has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Network Security and Ethical Hacking skills. The adjusted starting salary in Philadelphia is approximately $120,000.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
42
Public Tuition
$18,526/yr
Private Tuition
$59,845/yr
Room & Board
$19,639/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$10,866/yr
Unemployment
4.5%
Graduation Rate
52%
Cybersecurity Salary in Philadelphia (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Philadelphia's cost of living index of 150 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cybersecurity salary: $80,000 starting, $115,000 mid-career, $145,000 senior level.Philadelphia adjustment factor: 1.50x based on the local cost of living index.
Cybersecurity ROI Calculator for Philadelphia
Estimate your return on investment for a Cybersecurity degree using local Philadelphia tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $18,526 | Private avg: $59,845
Philadelphia avg aid: $10,866/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$152,660
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$67,500
vs HS diploma in Philadelphia
ROI Payback Period
2.3 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Philadelphia
$1,422,340
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,575,000) minus total education cost ($152,660)
Student Loan Payoff for Cybersecurity in Philadelphia
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Philadelphia for Cybersecurity
University of Pennsylvania
private
$63,452/yr
$253,808 total
Temple University
public
$18,526/yr
$74,104 total
Drexel University
private
$56,238/yr
$224,952 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Community College of Philadelphia
$6,378/yr
Top Employers for Cybersecurity in Philadelphia
Philadelphia offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cybersecurity graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Philadelphia Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Cybersecurity Job Titles
Cybersecurity in Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Pittsburgh, PA
$92K starting · COL 115
12 colleges
Allentown, PA
$90K starting · COL 113
5 colleges
Reading, PA
$94K starting · COL 118
3 colleges
Erie, PA
$96K starting · COL 120
4 colleges
Upper Darby, PA
$76K starting · COL 94.5
4 colleges
Scranton, PA
$96K starting · COL 120
8 colleges
Bethlehem, PA
$100K starting · COL 125
7 colleges
Lower Merion, PA
$73K starting · COL 91.4
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Philadelphia
Prompt Engineering
$75K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$143K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$128K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$132K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$123K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$75K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$75K starting · 3 yr ROI
Applied Mathematics
$75K starting · 3.5 yr ROI
Cybersecurity Degree in Philadelphia — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Cybersecurity ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Philadelphia.