Heads up: These are my own views. I used Google Gemini Deep Research for the heavy lifting, but I promise a human reviewed every word.
📖 Table of Contents
Identity and Access Management (IAM) has decoupled from general IT administration. While the broader tech sector has stabilized with flat compensation, IAM has split into a high-value vertical driven by cybersecurity mandates and regulatory pressure.
The “IAM Administrator” role, historically defined by manual provisioning and GUI management, is dead. It has been replaced by the “IAM Engineer,” a role that demands security theory, software engineering principles, and automation.
At the entry level, the “IAM Analyst” title has bifurcated. One track handles support tickets; the other handles Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC). The money is in the latter.
The Market Reality
General tech salaries are projected to rise just 1.6% in 2026. Security roles are tracking at 4.0%. AI/ML leads the pack at 4.4%, but IAM rides alongside it because you can’t deploy AI without identity governance.
Here’s what matters: 52% of tech leaders say they’ll increase starting offers for candidates with security skills. That’s second only to AI/Data Science (59%). If you’re on the fence about pivoting into security, that number should settle it.
The market has tiered technology roles into “Commodity” and “Strategic” buckets. Roles susceptible to automation, such as entry-level help desk, basic coding, and manual administration, are seeing wage stagnation. Strategic roles that ensure business continuity and audit survival are seeing aggressive growth.
The AI Factor
Cliches about “AI taking jobs” are partially true here. The “Joiner-Mover-Leaver” (JML) process used to employ thousands of junior admins. That work is now automated by IGA platforms.
But AI has created a massive new headache: Non-Human Identities.
Bots, service principals, and AI agents now outnumber human employees by a factor of 10 to 45, depending on your architecture. They need accounts, permissions, and governance. A specialist who knows how to secure an AI agent using Workload Identity Federation writes their own ticket in this market.
The same goes for Secrets Management. If you can automate the rotation of API keys and certificates, you’re solving a problem that keeps CISOs up at night.
Title Changes
The Death of the “System Admin”
For twenty years, “System Administrator” was a solid career. In IAM, that title now signals “legacy.”
Recruiters and hiring managers associate “Administrator” with:
- Manual clicking in Active Directory
- Resetting passwords
- “Keeping the lights on”
They associate “Engineer” with:
- Writing Python or PowerShell to hit APIs
- Integrating SaaS apps via OIDC
- Managing configuration via Git (Infrastructure-as-Code)
If your resume says “Administrator” but you do engineering work, change it. A Reddit thread from last year put it bluntly: “Unless your end game is to be an IT Manager… pivot now.”
The Analyst Split
If you are applying for an “IAM Analyst” role, check the job description. The title is used for two completely different jobs.
Job A: The Ticket Queue (Operations) You will unlock accounts and troubleshoot MFA failures. It pays $55k - $75k. It is effectively specialized Help Desk. Metrics are driven by ticket closure rates and SLAs. It’s high-volume, reactive work.
Job B: The Auditor (Governance) You will run Access Certification campaigns, chase managers for approvals, and gather evidence for SOX/ISO audits. It pays $75k - $90k. The work is cyclical. It is brutal during audit season, but calmer otherwise. This path leads to IAM Manager, IT Risk Manager, or GRC Architect.
Overlooked angle: The Governance track is a back door into cybersecurity for people without a CS background. Candidates from business analysis, library science, or legal studies often outperform here because the job is about process, detail, and documentation, not tinkering with code.
CIAM vs. Workforce: Two Different Worlds
There’s a third split you should know about: who you’re managing identities for.
Workforce IAM: Your users are employees and contractors. Focus is on security, Zero Trust, and internal efficiency.
Customer IAM (CIAM): Your users are paying customers. This is treated less like IT Security and more like Product Engineering. You’re expected to know API security, UX design, and how the login flow affects conversion rates.
CIAM pays more. It’s also harder to get into because the interview process is more technical. If you have a software development background, CIAM is where you should aim.
Salary Data (US Market)
Salary Data (US Market)
| Role | 25th % | Median | 75th % |
|---|---|---|---|
| IAM Analyst | $65,000 | $71,000 | $78,000 |
| IAM Engineer | $102,000 | $115,000 | $133,000 |
| IAM Architect | $103,000 | $120,000 | $137,000 |
| IAM Manager | $136,000 | $145,000 | $154,000 |
Geography Still Matters
Remote work has compressed the gap, but it hasn’t eliminated it.
Tier 1 (San Francisco, NYC, Seattle): Expect 20-30% above the median. An IAM Engineer in NYC starts around $130k, not $100k. You pay for it in rent.
Government Hubs (DC, Northern Virginia): A TS/SCI clearance is an automatic +$40k. An IAM Engineer with a clearance can hit $150k-$180k, which is more than their private sector peers in the same building. The catch: you’re usually onsite, and the clearance process takes a year.
Regional Hubs (Chicago, Austin, Atlanta): Salaries track close to the national median ($110k-$120k for Engineers), but cost of living is 30-40% lower than the coasts. Best “real” income.
Remote/National: The market has consolidated around Tier 2 salaries. You can live in a low-cost area and earn Austin money. The tradeoff is more competition for fewer fully-remote roles.
The Premium Kickers
- The Developer Premium: Engineers who write real code (not just copy-paste scripts) see a ~20-25% bump. ZipRecruiter lists “IAM Developer” roles with medians around $144k.
- The SailPoint Tax: If you can implement and maintain SailPoint IdentityIQ, you’re looking at $130k+ as a floor. The tool is complex enough that supply never meets demand.
The Technical Stack
You can no longer survive on “Active Directory Users and Computers.”
- The Duopoly: You need to know Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) or Okta. Ideally both. Microsoft owns the enterprise; Okta owns the startups and the CIAM market (via Auth0).
- The Plumbing: Stop memorizing button clicks. Learn the protocols.
- OIDC: For logging into apps. The modern standard for mobile and SPAs.
- OAuth 2.0: For authorization, which defines what you can do once you’re logged in.
- SAML 2.0: The legacy standard. Still everywhere in enterprise SaaS (Salesforce, Workday).
- SCIM: The unsung hero. This is the API standard for automatic user provisioning. When HR creates an employee, SCIM creates their Slack account.
- Governance (IGA): SailPoint remains the standard for big companies. It’s complex, ugly, and pays extremely well. Saviynt is the up-and-comer.
- Secrets & PAM: CyberArk and HashiCorp Vault. This is where the machine identity work happens. If you understand secrets rotation, you’re ahead of most candidates.
Top 5 In-Demand Skills
| Skill Category | Usage Rate |
|---|---|
| IDP Platforms (Okta/Entra ID) | 85% |
| Identity Standards (OIDC/SAML/SCIM) | 72% |
| IGA (SailPoint/Saviynt) | 65% |
| Scripting (Python/PowerShell) | 60% |
| PAM (CyberArk/Delinea) | 45% |
Certification Strategy
Most certs are useless for getting hired. They’re checkboxes for HR, not proof of skill. That said, some checkboxes are mandatory.
Entry-Level (0-2 Years)
- CompTIA Security+: The HR filter. You usually can’t get a government-adjacent job without it. DoD 8570 requires it.
- Microsoft SC-900: The introduction. Low-barrier exam that gets you familiar with Entra, Purview, and Sentinel vocabulary. Good for resumes, not proof of skill.
- Okta Certified Professional: Unlike multiple-choice exams, this one involves practical simulations. It proves you can actually navigate a console.
Practitioner (2-5 Years)
- Microsoft SC-300: The “I know how to do the job” exam. It covers Conditional Access, Identity Protection, and Governance. This is the current gold standard for operational IAM roles.
- CISSP: The management card. Get this if you want to be a lead or a manager. If you have under 5 years of experience, you get “Associate of ISC2” status, which still signals the management mindset.
The “Lab” Shortcut
If you have no experience, don’t just get a cert. Build a lab.
Get a free Microsoft 365 Developer tenant (it comes with Entra ID P2). Get a free Okta Developer account. Now:
- Set up Okta as your IdP.
- Federate it to Entra ID using OIDC or SAML.
- Enable MFA on the Okta side.
- Configure Conditional Access on the Entra side.
- Document the whole thing: screenshots, config snippets, problems you hit.
Put it on GitHub or write a blog post. In an interview, “I built a federation between Okta and Entra ID last weekend and here’s what I learned” beats “I passed a multiple choice exam” every time.
Typical IAM Career Progression
| Stage | Role | Focus Areas |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IAM Analyst | Governance, Access Reviews, Reporting, Basic Ops |
| 2 | IAM Engineer | Implementation, Integrations, SSO/MFA, Python/API |
| 3 | IAM Architect | Strategy, Design, Zero Trust Roadmap, Stakeholders |
What Interviewers Actually Ask
Interviews have moved away from trivia (“What port is LDAP?”) toward scenario-based questions. Be ready for:
For Analyst/Operations roles:
- “A user is locked out of their account at 2 AM and says they have a critical deadline. Walk me through your process.”
- “How do you explain MFA to an executive who thinks it’s too inconvenient?”
For Engineer roles:
- “Design an authentication flow for a mobile app. When would you use OIDC vs. SAML?”
- “We have 10,000 users who haven’t logged in for 90 days. How would you automate the cleanup?”
- “A service principal in Azure needs to write to a storage account. How do you secure it without a client secret?”
For Architect roles:
- “We’re migrating from on-prem Oracle Identity to cloud-based Okta. What’s your 12-month roadmap?”
- “How do you handle pushback from a VP who says your new policy is too restrictive?”
The Architect questions are partly technical, partly political. You’re being tested on whether you can advocate for security without torpedoing relationships.
Paths In
There are many paths into IAM; these are just examples. None of this is set in stone; the beauty of technology is that people break the mold all the time.
From Help Desk: Leverage your access. Ask the current IAM team if you can handle their ticket backlog. Use the Operations Analyst role as a stepping stone, but start learning Python or PowerShell and SC-300 material immediately to pivot into Engineering.
From a Non-Tech Background: Target the Governance Analyst track. Highlight attention to detail, process management, and writing ability. Learn the language of compliance (SOX, GDPR, HIPAA). You’ll become valuable to the CISO during audit season.
From CS/Development: Skip the Analyst tier entirely. Target “IAM Developer” or “Identity Engineer” roles. You already know how to code; now show that you understand identity as a concept, not just an API to call.
Data compiled from Robert Half 2026 Technology Salary Guide, Motion Recruitment, ZipRecruiter, Payscale, Salary.com, and Q4 2025 public job boards. Interview questions sourced from r/IdentityManagement and r/cybersecurity.